By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation,
Unvaccinated workers are losing their jobs Officials at Nike or Columbia Sportswear have announced they’ll fire unvaccinated workers who failed to meet the deadline to verify vaccination status or provide proof of religious or medical exemptions. Other clothing companies like VANS, Supreme, Timberland, and North Face have said they are following in the footsteps of Nike. Fred Meyer parent company, Kroger, has decided to limit health benefits (like paid emergency leave) and charge a health surcharge fee for the unvaccinated.
Although the two companies, Nike and Columbia Sportswear are among the largest in Oregon, the number of people likely to lose their jobs is expected to be small, according. Warehouse and retail workers are exempt from Columbia’s vaccine mandate.
Although legal challenges have stopped government mandates—at least for now—the private companies have taken an assertive role in requiring employees to be vaccinated. Nike employs 14,000 at its Beaverton headquarters, although most have worked remotely during Covid-19. A group of 120 Nike employees who object to the mandate have communicated online, although some of those may be vaccinated or hold religious or medical exemptions.
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