Big Tech in Turmoil as Companies Scramble to Mandate Vaccines, Masks for Workers and Even Actors

Many tech giants have found their plans for returning to work delayed as they demand that all employees are vaccinated and some reintroduce mask mandates. The mandates extend far beyond workers in Silicon Valley, as Netflix is mandating vaccines for actors in its productions as well.

Bloomberg reports that on Wednesday, tech giant Google announced that it would be delaying its official office return until mid-October and requiring all employees to get vaccinated. The ridesharing company Lyft announced that its employees will not be returning to the office until February, while Twitter has now closed its recently reopened offices.

Discussing the decision to close its New York and San Francisco offices just two weeks after their reopening, Twitter stated:

After careful consideration of the CDC’s updated guidelines, and in light of current conditions, Twitter has made the decision to close our opened offices in New York and San Francisco as well as pause future office reopenings, effective immediately.

We continue to monitor local conditions and make necessary changes that prioritize the health and safety of our Tweeps.

Apple has announced that masks must now once again be worn at most U.S. stores; similarly, Walt Disney has reintroduced the mask mandates at its Florida and California parks. These measures are reportedly being blamed on an increase in coronavirus cases and a slowdown in vaccinations in the United States. As Breitbart News reported on Wednesday, Netflix is requiring vaccinations for all actors working on U.S. productions.

Katrina Burch, an assistant professor in the department of psychological sciences at Western Kentucky University and director of the school’s industrial-organizational psychology master’s degree program, commented: “It feels like it’s getting a little crazy again. It’s really challenging for any organization to manage and take in this information.”

Eraina Ortega, director of the California Department of Human Resources, commented on the state’s own vaccine mandate: “We are one of the largest employers here in California and we are trying to show that if we can implement this, other employers can as well. As we see it, vaccination and strict enforcement of masks and screening protocols are all a part of focusing on the health and safety of the workplace, having our economy open and having our schools open.”