More than 98% of affected MGM workers complied with vaccine mandate
Less than 2 percent of MGM Resort International’s salaried workers chose to quit or were fired over the company’s vaccine mandate, company CEO and President Bill Hornbuckle said Monday.
MGM, one of the largest employers in Nevada, announced in August a new policy that would require all salaried employees who did not work from home to show proof of full vaccination as a condition of employment by Oct. 15. The policy affects more than 6,000 workers nationwide for the company.
In a letter to employees Monday, Hornbuckle said just 91 of those employees, or less than 2 percent, quit or were terminated for not being vaccinated by the deadline. The company clarified in an email that the number of employees who left was actually 90.
“I’m happy to report that more than 98% of our salaried team members to whom this applied have answered the call and are in compliance with the policy. This is a remarkable outcome and a major milestone for us as we work to create the safest possible environment for our employees and guests,” Hornbuckle wrote.
The company’s mandate only applied to salaried workers, but Hornbuckle noted the growing vaccination rate among the company’s overall workforce. He said that 84 percent of the employees who work on-site in Las Vegas — both salaried and hourly —are vaccinated.
“It’s hard to overstate the impact of having so many of our employees, partners and their families stepping up to receive these safe, effective, life-saving vaccines. It’s a testament to how seriously we take our commitment to supporting and improving people’s lives in the communities where we operate,” Hornbuckle wrote.
Salaried employees who work from home aren’t exempt from the vaccine mandate. Those employees have until Nov. 15 to show proof of full vaccination.
Westgate implemented a policy similar to MGM’s that also went into effect Friday, and the results were remarkably similar. Westgate Chief Operating Officer Mark Waltrip said in a statement Friday that 98 percent of the employees covered by their policy were vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Neither of the policies from MGM or Westgate affect unionized workers, but that could soon change. The Culinary Union Local 226, which represents roughly 60,000 hospitality workers in Las Vegas and Reno including 24,000 MGM employees, is “actively negotiating with gaming companies,” on potential agreements, union spokeswoman Bethany Khan said in a statement Friday.
Contact Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ColtonLochhead on Twitter.
