VF Corporation, Home to Vans and Supreme, to Also Fire Unvaccinated Employees
Employees will be terminated without severance if they fail to secure an exemption.
VF Corporation, the parent company of Vans, Supreme and The North Face, will reportedly fire unvaccinated employees without approved accommodation by January 31. This news follows Nike’s decision to start firing unvaccinated associates last weekend.
An internal email was issued back in October 2021, indicating all office-based U.S. workers to receive their COVID-19 vaccination by January 1, 2022. For those who fail to show proof of a medical exemption before January 31, they have been warned that will be terminated without severance.
In an email to Outside Business Journal, Colin Wheeler, VF’s senior director of corporate affairs, said: “If any associate does not have proof of an accommodation by January 1, they will be prevented from accessing our facilities and will be required to work from home, while they consult with their manager on next steps. If by January 31, they have not received an approved accommodation, they will be separated from the company and will not receive severance.”
The Supreme Court recently tackled the charge of whether the Occupational Safety and Health Administration overstepped its boundaries by requiring vaccinations for companies of over 100 workers, which resulted in a split decision. Although the requirement currently affects VF Corp’s office-based employees, it might extend to other U.S. associates this spring. It is unclear as to whether retail workers will be affected.
