CARY – In September, SAS told its U.S.-based workers they would need to provide proof of vaccination or risk getting fired.

At the time, the company noted it could reopen its headquarters campus in Cary as soon as Nov. 1.

That’s today.  So what’s the update?

“We have postponed fully reopening SAS world headquarters to January 3, 2022,” said Shannon Heath, a spokesperson for the company, in an interview with WRAL TechWire today.

The company is still limiting access to all U.S. office facilities, and proof of vaccination is required for entry to a SAS facility, Heath noted.

“We are encouraged to have seen a significant increase in the number of vaccinations submitted since September,” said Heath, noting that at that time, the company announced it would require proof of vaccination by Nov. 1.  “At this time, proof of vaccination has been provided by more than 97 percent of our US employee base,” Heath said.

That includes “approximately 99% of employees at SAS Headquarters in Cary,” Heath added.

SAS to workers: Get vaccinated or you could be fired

Heath said that company employees are asked to continue with current remote work arrangements “until further notice,” adding that “vaccinations protect us, our loved ones and our community.”

Becoming fully vaccinated against COVID-19 “will help us return society to a more normal state by helping us keep schools open, ensure hospital beds are available to people with other health issues, and protect our economy from further damage,” said Heath.  “We want to alleviate the impact on our employees and our already overwhelmed health care system. We continue to support the health and safety of our employees by providing easy, free access to vaccinations for employees and their families, including offering them at our onsite health care center.”