Coffee giant suspends Covid-19 vaccine-or-test requirement for U.S. employees following U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
QUICK FACTS:
- The U.S. Supreme Court last week struck down Joe Biden’s vaccination-or-test mandate for large businesses, ruling that the policy overstepped executive authority.
- In response, Starbucks Corp becoming one of the first major companies to walk back its plans to require shots, Forbes reports.
- A memo to employees said Starbucks is no longer requiring employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19
WHAT STARBUCKS’ COO SAID:
“We respect the court’s ruling and will comply,” Starbucks Chief Operating Officer John Culver wrote in a memo to workers, even though he added the company continues to “believe strongly in the spirit and intent of the mandate.”
BACKGROUND:
- The move follows a similar decision from industrial conglomerate General Electric Co., according to Reuters.
- The coffee giant had said earlier this month it would require its around 220,000 U.S. employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing, Reuters also notes.
- Over 90% of Starbucks workers have already revealed their vaccination status, many being fully vaccinated, according to the memo.
- Supreme Court rejected the Biden administration’s plan to require vaccines or regular COVID testing at companies with more than 100 workers in a 6-3 vote.
- Starbucks employs 228,000 people in the U.S., according to The Associated Press.
