Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) will require employees to report their Covid-19 vaccination status and, if unvaccinated, get tested regularly, according to an internal memo viewed by the Business Journals.
The new policy officially begins in January. All employees are required to share their status via portal by Dec. 4, according to the memo. Fully vaccinated employees must upload a photo of their vaccination card. Non-vaccinated employees must acknowledge they will be part of the testing program. The bank will provide more details on the rules for testing, the memo states.
Employees are also required to complete Covid-19 safety training by Dec. 14.
"This is an important step to prepare for your return to the office, and it’s a critical step to help keep all of our employees safe and healthy," reads the memo, which was signed by Bei Ling, head of human resources.
Wells Fargo, one of the largest banks in the Triangle market and with more than 27,000 employees in Charlotte, is still planning to bring most employees back to the office starting in January, after pushing back the date multiple times this past year. Operations and contact center employees will be the first to return over several weeks. Business support and enterprise roles will follow throughout the first quarter.
The bank is offering up to four hours of paid time off for eligible employees to receive a Covid-19 booster shot. That's in addition to the four hours offered for up to two appointments each to get the initial vaccine doses.
Other big banks, including Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) and Truist Financial Corp. (NYSE: TFC), are also requiring employees to report their vaccination status. However, neither have implemented mandatory testing. They are strongly encouraging Covid-19 vaccinations and using the status reports to set safety protocols. The two banks have begun bringing employees back to the office. Truist is planning for most of its employees to return to flexible, on-site work in January, a spokesperson said.