As COVID-19 restrictions continue to loosen all over the country, Tyson Foods has decided to end its vaccine mandate for all employees.
Other protective measures will still continue:
- Masks are required in facilities where the CDC community level is high or if a facility is in Low/Medium.
- There is still self-screening for COVID-19 symptoms at entry.
- Employees with symptoms or who have been exposed to COVID-19 will be tested.
- Quarantine for symptomatic and asymptomatic employees who test positive for COVID-19 is required.
- In-house booster clinics are still being offered.
Tyson Foods’ vaccine requirement
Tyson announced August 3, 2021 that all employees would need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by November 1, 2021. Tyson was one of the first larger companies to have a vaccine requirement, and it was mostly successful, primarily due to the offered incentives – vaccinated frontline workers were eligible for a $200 bonus and four hours of pay if they were vaccinated outside of work.
“Working together, the [United Food and Commercial Workers union] UFCW and Tyson set a new standard with this vaccine mandate, and have proved what’s possible when we listen to workers and negotiate the implementation of vaccination mandates fairly and responsibly,” said Marc Perrone, president of United Food and Commercial Workers union, according to the New York Times.
Tyson also invested over $700 million into other COVID-19 protective measures like:
- Face masks and shields
- Infrared temperature scanners
- Protective barriers
- Onsite testing and vaccinations
Not everyone, however, was on board with the vaccine mandate. A lawsuit was filed June 15, 2022 by a former employee alleging that the mandate infringed on their religious rights.
According to WATTPoultry.com’s World’s Top Companies database, Tyson Foods is the second largest poultry in the world with 1,900 million head slaughtered annually.
