Ford Motor Co. will require its 32,000 salaried employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19 no later than Dec. 8. Those who do not get the vaccine or do not have a religious or medical exemption could be placed on 30-day paid leave.

There had been some question about the specifics of the paid leave. CNBC auto reporter Michael Wayland noted in a Twitter post on Thursday that Ford later said employees "could" be put on unpaid leave instead of "will" be put on unpaid leave.

The company said the health and safety of its workforce “remains a top priority” as it encourages employees to comply with the company’s protocol, including the 84% of company salaried employees who have already received the vaccine.

"The goal is to achieve the highest possible vaccination rate without severe consequences to any employee," said a Ford spokesperson.

Ford is the first of the big three U.S. automakers to require the vaccine for its employees.

The remaining 56,000 of the automaker’s employees are represented by unions and will not be required to take the vaccine, according to Brian Rothenberg, a spokesman for the United Auto Workers. The UAW has not mandated workers to get the vaccine and has allowed them to make their own choice.

Ford’s mandate comes as President Joe Biden released guidelines for federal contractors enforcing vaccine mandates. The rules allow employers to offer medical or religious exemptions to their employees if they do not want to get vaccinated, allowing them to wear a mask or get tested frequently.

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