Starbucks Lifts Vaccine Mandate... "Respecting Court Ruling"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Starbucks recently announced that it will abolish the COVID-19 vaccine mandate that was implemented following an order from the Joe Biden U.S. administration. This move is interpreted as a response to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling criticizing the vaccine mandate as an abuse of authority. Following General Electric (GE), which had previously abolished its vaccine mandate, Starbucks has joined the ranks of companies removing the mandate, and it is expected that major U.S. corporations will continue to repeal vaccine mandates.

According to foreign media including CNBC on the 19th (local time), Starbucks announced that it will abolish the vaccine mandate applied to approximately 220,000 employees across the U.S. starting from the 10th. Previously, under the Biden administration's vaccine mandate, Starbucks required employees to report their vaccination status and instructed those who had not completed vaccination by the 9th of next month to submit weekly negative test results thereafter.

However, the situation reversed after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the vaccine mandate. According to the Associated Press, on the 13th, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)'s vaccine mandate for private sector employees at businesses with 100 or more workers, which had been in effect since November last year, was an excessive exercise of authority and opposed the mandate.

John Culver, Starbucks' North America president, stated in a press release on the same day, "We respect and will comply with the court's ruling," adding, "We strongly encourage vaccinations and booster shots and will disclose vaccination status." Since over 90% of Starbucks employees in the U.S. are already vaccinated and their vaccination status is disclosed, it is expected that there will be little confusion.

Following General Electric (GE), which abolished its vaccine mandate immediately after the Supreme Court ruling, Starbucks also abolished its mandate, and it is anticipated that most major U.S. corporations will repeal their mandates. However, concerns are growing that public health authorities will face difficulties as the spread of COVID-19 continues in the U.S. due to the Omicron variant.