Fox Corp. has not required its workforce to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to work from its New York offices.
That will change one week from today.
Fox Corp. announced on Monday in a note to its New York-based staff (obtained by Washington Post’s Jeremy Barr), that “all who perform in-person work at an office location, including Fox employees, must show proof of receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine,” adding, “this mandate by the Mayor prohibits unvaccinated employees from working at Fox New York offices as of 12/27.”
Fox Corp. confirmed to TVNewser the existence of a company memo to NY-based staffers, adding, “the timing and ramifications of the Mayor’s vaccine mandate are very unfortunate and as a result we’re taking timely actions to be compliant by the 27th.”
In September, Fox Corp HR chief Kevin Lord said more than 90% of full-time Fox Corp. staffers had been vaccinated. The month prior, the company mandated that all staffers upload their vaccination status into the company’s finance and HR system, Workday. Those Fox staffers who declined to get the vaccine (or declined to disclose their vax status) have been reportedly been subject to daily testing. That testing option is now over.
The company also announced over the summer, at the height of the delta variant, that masks were optional for vaccinated Fox News staffers, but “strongly encouraged in public areas throughout the building.”
Employees have been required to wear masks in control rooms and “in small confined spaces with limited opportunities for social distancing.” However, we have been told by more than one Fox News staffer that this rule isn’t consistently being followed.
It remains to be seen how staff will react to this announcement.