Intel employees offered $250 incentive to get COVID-19 vaccine
Intel is the latest tech company encouraging employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but unlike some other tech giants, it won’t make getting the shots a requirement.
On Wednesday, Intel said it will give its employees up to $250 as a thank you for getting vaccinated, and hourly employees will get an additional $100 food voucher. Those that are already vaccinated can still claim the incentive.
An email from Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger to employees announcing the incentive was shared on Twitter.
JUST IN @intel, one of Arizona’s largest private employers w 10,000-person workforce, offers employees $250 to get vaccinated, plus $100 food vouchers for hourly workers, per CEO msg today. pic.twitter.com/1z8sWng9jp
— Brahm Resnik (@brahmresnik) August 18, 2021
“I’m a data guy and the data shows that vaccination is a critical element in ending this pandemic,” Gelsinger said in the email, which Intel confirmed. “The risk of infection among vaccinated individuals is reduced about three-fold, and the risk of severe disease or death is reduced by ten-fold or greater.”
As of now, Intel isn’t requiring proof of vaccination for its employees. Other tech companies, including Google, Facebook and Uber, have said they will require proof of vaccination for employees returning to the office. Many companies have had to delay or re-evaluating return-to-work protocols amid the latest wave of the pandemic.
Intel allows its employees to take up to four hours of paid time off for each vaccination appointment, said a spokesperson for the company. Intel will extend the incentive expiration date for employees in countries that don’t have vaccines available yet.
As the news develops, there are several reports also in Asia and even South Africa about companies that are offering incentives for employees who vaccinated voluntarily and giving ultimatums to the ones who refuse to.