MGM's vaccination mandate tops 98% compliance among salaried staff

After MGM announced in August a new policy that required all salaried employees who did not work from home to show proof of full vaccination as a condition of employment by October 15, CEO Bill Hornbuckle reported Monday that less than 2% of MGM Resort International’s workers chose to lose their jobs over being compliant with the new policy.

In a letter addressed to his employees, Hornbuckle expressed that only 91 of the staff members decided not to get vaccinated by the deadline, and 90 of them left the company. 

Even though MGM’s mandate only applied to salaried workers, Hornbuckle noted the growing vaccination rate among the company’s overall workforce was satisfactory. 84% of the staff who work on-site in Las Vegas, both salaried and hourly, are vaccinated. 

“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.

“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,” he concluded.

MGM CEO Bill Hornbuckle.

Salaried employees who work from home are not exempt from the vaccine mandate. Those employees have until November 15 to show proof of full vaccination.

So far, a few operators have begun enforcing vaccine mandates to their employees, while more are expected to follow soon. Both Resorts World Las Vegas and Westgate did so last month, while MGM Resorts International announced its own mandate in August.

Westgate implemented a policy similar to MGM’s that also went into effect Friday, and the results were similar. Westgate Chief Operating Officer Mark Waltrip said in a statement Friday that 98% of the employees covered by their policy had complied.

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.