3 Sample Company Memos for Mandating Employee Vaccinations

Vaccine mandates in the United States are not a new concept; the government has been mandating vaccinations since 1809, with the influx of smallpox infections in school children. Following the smallpox vaccine mandate, various government agencies (such as the Food and Drug Administration) and regulations emerged to oversee the testing of vaccines. Over time, the judicial branch of the U.S. federal government has played a significant role in vaccine rules, including considering the validity of mandates and the conflict between individual rights vs. public health. Today, as the Delta variant continues to cause sickness and death, many companies are voluntarily imposing vaccine requirements for their workers ahead of a looming federal vaccine mandate affecting workers at businesses with 100 or more employees. In July, Google became the first major tech company to announce a vaccine mandate for its employees looking to return to the office later this fall. The New York Times CEO, Meredith Kopit Levien, told staff members via email that it will require proof of vaccination for those who want to go back to the office. In an internal memo, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told employees that they would now be required to be fully vaccinated to return to the office. “If you are not vaccinated, you’ll need to work from home until you are fully vaccinated,” he wrote. Companies that fall within President Joe Biden’s new mandate parameters will need to follow the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) new rules to mandate vaccinations or subject employees to weekly testing, though the official rules have not been laid out yet. This mandate will affect roughly 100 million Americans and cost businesses, that fail to comply, tens of thousands of dollars per violation. It remains to be seen when and exactly how this mandate will work. However, preparing company memos can save a lot of headaches later.

Mandatory vaccination memo templates

Rather than scrambling at the last minute to put together a company-wide memo, your human resources or People Operations team can save time by utilizing sample memos like these. Simply copy and paste the memo that you’d like to use, and edit the parts that are applicable to your business. It’s important to note that any documents reflecting an employee’s vaccination status are confidential medical records, and you should maintain these separately from personnel records pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Example 1: General memo

Example 2: On-site vaccine distribution memo

Example 3: External vaccine distribution memo

Example 1: General memo

Hello,

We are writing to let you know that has implemented a mandatory vaccination policy effective requiring COVID-19 vaccinations, or weekly COVID-19 testing, for all employees per President Biden’s federal mask mandate. You can learn more about the mandate here .

As a large company, we have a duty to provide and maintain a safe workplace. We feel this policy will safeguard the health of our employees and their families, our customers and visitors, and the community at large. Once you are vaccinated, please provide proof of immunization to , both when you receive your first dose and again when you receive the second shot, if applicable. 

All employees must be fully vaccinated no later than .

Individuals who opt for weekly testing or are seeking an exemption from this requirement for medical or religious reasons should contact Human Resources immediately for further details. 

will pay for all vaccinations and the time spent receiving the vaccinations.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask.

Sincerely, 

Example 2: On-site vaccine distribution memo

Hello,

In September 2021, President Biden announced plans requiring private businesses with 100 or more employees to mandate vaccines for workers or subject unvaccinated workers to weekly testing. You can learn more about the mandate here . To remain compliant with these requirements, will require all of its workers and contractors to be fully vaccinated by or submit to weekly testing.

To make vaccines accessible to all of our employees, we have rolled out on-site vaccination stations at on the following dates: 

Please register for a date with . Once you are vaccinated, please provide proof of immunization to , both when you receive your first dose and again when you receive the second shot, if applicable. 

All employees must be fully vaccinated no later than .

Individuals who opt for weekly testing or are seeking an exemption from this requirement for medical or religious reasons should contact Human Resources immediately for further details. 

will pay for all vaccinations and the time spent receiving the vaccinations.

We encourage all of our employees to get the vaccination as soon as possible. If

you have any questions about how to accomplish this, please contact.

Sincerely,

Example 3: External vaccine distribution memo

Hello, 

At nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our employees. To protect our workers and comply with President Biden’s federal vaccine mandate, we will require that all employees become fully vaccinated by or submit to weekly testing. You can learn more about the mandate here .

 will provide a list of locations to assist employees in receiving the vaccine on their own (attached). 

Vaccinations should be processed through the employees’ health insurance where applicable or submitted for reimbursement. All employees will be paid for the time taken to receive vaccinations. Employees should work with their managers to schedule an appropriate time to comply with this policy.

Once you are vaccinated, please provide proof of immunization to , both when you receive your first dose and again when you receive the second shot, if applicable. 

All employees must be fully vaccinated no later than .

Individuals who opt for weekly testing or are seeking an exemption from this requirement for medical or religious reasons should contact Human Resources immediately for further details. 

Please direct any questions regarding this policy to the human resources department.

Sincerely,

Has your business been closed or otherwise affected by COVID? Here are a few helpful email templates to send to your customers.