Citigroup Confronts Vaccine Holdouts In No Jab, No Job Mandate

Office workers who don't comply by Jan. 14 will be placed on unpaid leave, and their last day of employment will come at the end of the month, according to a message to staff seen by Bloomberg.

Citigroup Inc. was the first major Wall Street bank to impose a strict Covid-19 vaccine mandate: Get a shot or face termination. With its deadline fast approaching, the company is preparing for action.

Office workers who don't comply by Jan. 14 will be placed on unpaid leave, and their last day of employment will come at the end of the month, according to a message to staff seen by Bloomberg. While some of the employees will be eligible for certain year-end bonus payments, they'll have to sign an agreement that states they won't pursue legal action against the company to receive the funds, the company said in the message.

"You are welcome to apply for other roles at Citi in the future as long as you are compliant with Citi's vaccination policy," the company said in the memo.

More than 90% of Citigroup's staffers have complied with the rule for U.S. workers, which also allows for employees to apply for religious or medical exemptions, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named discussing private information. While that number continues to rise quickly, the company has had to navigate shifting local laws and is facing public backlash from a handful of employees -- mirroring the vaccine divisivenessplaying out across the country.