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The Chicago-based fast-food chain is also delaying its official office reopening from Sept. 7 to Oct. 11 to give employees more time to get fully vaccinated, according to an internal note to employees. In the note, McDonald’s Chief People Officer Heidi Capozzi said the increase in COVID-19 infections caused by new variants “has made many of us uneasy.” The McDonald’s global headquarters in Chicago’s West Loop in 2019. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune). “Since the Town Hall, we’ve heard from many of you that you would feel more comfortable returning to the office if you had more certainty your colleagues were vaccinated,” Capozzi said in the note. “We are also being asked by state and local governments to require vaccinations for corporate employees because getting more of the population vaccinated reduces our own chances of being infected and contributes to community protection.” Companies had been hesitant to require employees to get vaccines earlier in the pandemic, but that’s started to change as COVID-19 variants have spread and case numbers have grown. Amtrak also announced plans on Wednesday to require all employees and contractors to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Last week, Chicago-based United Airlines said it would require all U.S.-based employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine companies including Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Tyson Foods. The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce issued a statement encouraging employers to mandate vaccines. “Businesses are in a unique position to help change the direction of the pandemic, and we encourage businesses of all sizes and industries to require vaccinations so we can protect ourselves, those around us, and continue on our path to economic recovery,” said Jack Lavin, president, and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. McDonald’s decision to mandate the vaccine was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The requirement will apply to suppliers and contractors visiting McDonald’s Chicago headquarters or other U.S. offices, but McDonald’s will not mandate vaccines for employees at restaurants it owns, or franchised restaurants, according to the note to employees. Employees who are already fully vaccinated are encouraged to still return to the office on Sept. 7. Masks are currently required in offices for all employees, regardless of vaccination status, except while workers are eating, drinking, or alone in an enclosed room. The company hopes requiring vaccinations will let it go back to making masks optional in the future, according to the note. Capozzi said the company will provide more information on requesting an exemption for a medical or religious reason in the coming weeks. – Source: The Chicago Tribune.

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