Coca-Cola is offering both a carrot and a stick to motivate its U.S. employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The carrot will be a $2,000 bonus for employees who get the vaccine by Dec. 8, or who receive exemptions on medical or religious grounds. The stick will be the company’s announcement Oct. 26 that vaccination is mandatory.
Coca-Cola is presenting this as a matter of meeting requirements for vendors who do business with the federal government, since it sells beverages on federal property like parks and military bases. The Biden administration has required all such vendors to use only vaccinated personnel as of Dec. 8. This is stricter than another federal requirement that large employers require either proof of vaccination or weekly COVID tests.
A Coca-Cola spokesperson declined to tell the Atlanta Journal-Constitution what will happen to employees who refuse to comply.
