If Google LLC’s employees refuse to get vaccinated for COVID-19, they will first be told to take some leave and eventually let go, according to an internal memo published today and obtained by CNBC.

The memo that was sent to staff apparently came from higher-ups at the company. It told staff that they had to adhere to the company’s vaccine policy, which is a direct consequence of President Biden’s vaccine mandate. It seems this won’t affect Google employees based outside the U.S.

The memo said staff had until Dec. 3 to declare their vaccination status via documentation, or at least to apply for a medical or religious exemption. After that, the company said, it would start getting in touch with staff who had not provided the necessary documents or had not had their religious exemption approved.

According to the document, if by Jan. 13 staff have not met these requirements, they will be placed on 30-day paid administrative leave. If nothing changes within 30 days, the employees run the risk of having to take unpaid leave for up to six months, and after that, they could be fired.

CNBC reported that there isn’t much of a way out of this. Even getting regular COVID tests won’t let unvaccinated staff off the hook. “We expect that almost all roles at Google in the U.S. will fall within the scope of the executive order,” said CNBC, citing the memo. Google hasn’t denied its zero-tolerance stance on the issue.

“As we’ve stated before, our vaccination requirements are one of the most important ways we can keep our workforce safe and keep our services running,” a Google spokesperson told The Verge. “We’re committed to doing everything possible to help our employees who can get vaccinated do so, and firmly stand behind our vaccination policy.”

Google has about 150,000 employees in the U.S., most of whom are now expected to return to the office – unlike at some other big tech companies. Apple Inc., for example, today was reported by Bloomberg to have told employees it’s walking back a planned Feb. 1 return to a “date yet to be determined.”

Given U.S. vaccination rates, you’d expect the majority of Google staff already to be vaccinated, although in November it was reported that “several hundred” staff had signed a letter opposing the vaccine mandate. Some of them could already have been vaccinated and opposed “the mandate as a matter of principle.”

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