Carhartt reaffirms vaccine mandate despite social media backlash

Carhartt's decision to continue requiring its workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 led to a social media backlash against the workwear brand. Earlier this week, a letter sent to employees illustrating Carhartt’s stance on vaccines began circulating on social media, angering many who disagree with the policy. The letter was sent following last week’s Supreme Court ruling against President Biden’s plan to require vaccines or routine COVID testing at companies with more than 100 employees. See all of Ad Age’s 2022 Best Places to Work here. Carhartt’s letter was sent to reaffirm its vaccine requirement, despite the recent ruling, a company spokesman said in a statement. “Carhartt made the decision to implement its own vaccine mandate as part of our long-standing commitment to workplace safety. Our recent communication to employees was to reinforce that the Supreme Court ruling does not affect the mandate we put in place,” the statement read. Don’t miss the latest news. Sign up for Ad Age newsletters here. Many reacted negatively on social media, using a #BoycottCarhartt tag against the brand, which is popular with conservatives. By Wednesday afternoon, the brand had been mentioned in more than 60,000 tweets. In an email, a spokesman reaffirmed the company’s position. “Carhartt fully understands and respects the varying opinions on this topic, and we are aware some of our associates do not support this policy. However, we stand behind our decision because we believe vaccines are necessary to protect our workforce,” he wrote. On Twitter, Carhartt was a trending topic and the backlash was plentiful. #BoycottCarhartt Make this company go bankrupt!! They do not care about freedom and they definitely do not know the real science. @Carhartt— Brian (@stake_USA) January 18, 2022 A company that forces its employees to take meds against their will that at this point is proven it doesn't stop the spread or transmission is not believing in worker safety. Take your self care vax somewhere else! #BoycottCarhartt— Dana (@thekrohsnest) January 18, 2022 I have been a faithful @Carhartt customer for 3 decades. Until they rescind this, I will never spend another dollar on their gear. #boycottcarhartt https://t.co/CqzAolNTDm— @Potatoblood (@Potatothirst) January 18, 2022 Carhartt's stance invited support from others. MAGAS are going to #BoycottCarhartt because the company is requiring their employees to get vaccinated. I recommend all my followers to purchase a Carhartt item. I love their stuff. It's great quality and lasts forever. Let's make Carhartt the new Nike.— RedRiverDog (@REDRIVERDOG) January 19, 2022 People who actually wear Carhartt aren’t doing some stupid boycott because they have real work to do. #BoycottCarhartt— Brienne of Snark🏳️🌈 (@BrienneOfSnark_) January 19, 2022 This coat is 20 years old. People who #boycottcarhartt are screwing themselves over. pic.twitter.com/p4GtiwpVkv— Barnaby Pedge (@barnabypedge) January 19, 2022 Some drew comparisons to the Nike boycott, which included the burning of actual footwear, following the brand’s ad campaign starring Colin Kaepernick. That campaign ended up performing favorably for the sportswear giant. Just like y’all boycotted Nike? I think @Carhartt will do just fine 😂 #BoycottCarhartt— Alex Canady II (@thebaysfinestAC) January 19, 2022 Other companies have reversed course following the Supreme Court ruling. Starbucks announced Wednesday that it would no longer require its employees to be vaccinated. Soon, a #BoycottStarbucks hashtag was gaining traction on Twitter. In November, a U.S. federal court in Texas upheld an employee vaccination requirement from United Airlines, which was one of the first companies to require such inoculation for staff. Subscribe to Ad Age now for the latest industry news and analysis.

Carhartt reaffirms vaccine mandate despite social media backlash

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