CNN has fired three employees for going in to work without getting the vaccine.
The network has mandated that people who go to work in person must be fully vaccinated.
CNN President Jeff Zucker announced the firings in leaked memo that he sent to employees on Thursday, obtained by The Hill.
“In the past week, we have been made aware of three employees who were coming to the office unvaccinated,” the memo states. “Let me be clear — we have a zero-tolerance policy on this.”
More from Jeff Zucker memo to CNN staff: pic.twitter.com/KDhh6sPpZM
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“You need to be vaccinated to come to the office. And you need to be vaccinated to work in the field, with other employees, regardless of whether you enter an office or not. Period,” Zucker stated.
Zucker said that the company had previously been going by the honor system and that it was not mandatory to provide proof of vaccination. However, due to the three employees who had not been vaccinated, he said that they “expect that in the weeks ahead, showing proof of vaccination may become a formal part of the WarnerMedia Passcard process.”
The memo also announced that the official return date for CNN offices has been moved from Sept. 7 to early or mid-October.
“This was not an easy decision, and there is much to consider. The bottom line is that, based on the information that is available today, and what experts expect to evolve with the virus in the weeks ahead, September 7 no longer feels appropriate,” Zucker said.
Starting on Thursday, employees at their offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta must wear face masks — even if they are vaccinated.