Netflix Expands Vaccine Mandate for All Employees and Visitors

Streaming giant Netflix is expanding its vaccine mandate for all employees as well as visitors that come into their offices. Netflix was the first major studio to mandate vaccinations for the casts of all its U.S. productions as well as those who come in contact with those on set. This new mandate for staff and visitors in their offices makes the streamer just the latest company to require vaccines for employees returning to offices.

According to Deadline, Netflix’s return-to-office plans may also be changing as well. It was previously reported that Netflix had planned for employees to return to offices after Labor Day, but with the recent spikes in cases due to the delta variant, those plans may be modified. Currently, Netflix’s offices are open for those who choose to work there and employees are still allowed to work from home. Per the report, visitors to Netflix’s headquarters and other offices will be required to show proof of vaccination before entering.

Netflix’s new mandate comes less than a week after The Walt Disney Company announced that it would require all of its salaried and non-union hourly employees in the U.S. to be vaccinated. Additionally, Disney announced that visitors to Walt Disney World and Disneyland theme parks would need to resume mask-wearing indoors, even if fully vaccinated.

“At The Walt Disney Company, the safety and well-being of our employees during the pandemic has been and continues to be a top priority,” they wrote. “Toward that end, and based on the latest recommendations of scientists, health officials, and our own medical professionals that the COVID-19 vaccine provides the best protection against severe infection, we are requiring that all salaried and non-union hourly employees in the U.S. working at any of our sites be fully vaccinated.”

“Employees who aren’t already vaccinated and are working on-site will have 60 days from today to complete their protocols and any employees still working from home will need to provide verification of vaccination prior to their return, with certain limited exceptions,” it continues. “We have also begun conversations around this topic with the unions representing our employees under collective bargaining agreements. In addition, all new hires will be required to be fully vaccinated before beginning employment. Vaccines are the best tool we all have to help control this global pandemic and protect our employees.”

What do you think of Netflix’s vaccine mandate for employees and visitors? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.