Washington Post employees will need to prove they’re vaccinated by mid-September as a condition of their employment, according to a staff memo from publisher Fred Ryan.
Ryan made the announcement Tuesday, emailing staffers to let them know that unless an employee has “documented medical conditions [or] religious concerns,” they need to receive a COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 13, when the Post will reopen its office for employees to work three days a week.
“Even though the overwhelming majority of Post employees have already provided proof of vaccination, I do not take this decision lightly,” Ryan said in the memo. “However, in considering the serious health issues and genuine safety concerns of so many Post employees, I believe the plan is the right one.”
Approximately 1,000 journalists work for the Post, which is owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos.
Guests and contractors visiting the newspaper’s offices will also need to show proof of vaccination, Ryan said in the email.