Hello Members: Can we force our employees to take the COVID vaccine? We are reopening our office and allowing employees who has already got both their doses. Can we take corrective action if they don't comply - like terminate their service?
You can bar the non-vaccinated employees from entering the office and mark them as absent. Depending on the length of absence, you can take disciplinary action.
The employer has a right to impose reasonable restrictions on the employees allowed to be at work place, it is not only the right of such employees involved but also the safety and health of the other people present. So it cannot be risked and the action taken to ensure that only twice vaccinated employees are allowed entry inside the office is a reasonable restriction imposed for common good.
Agreeing with above comment by KK. It is the responsibility of employer to protect employees and organization cannot run with whims of employee. Employer can impose such restrictions or frame rules as per situation warranting health and safety of employees. You can not put the others life at risk.
Yes, safety of employees is responsibility of employer. However, employer should make provisions for vaccination. Then if employee does not submit to vaccination, it is at his own risk.
Vibhakar Ramtirthkar, Pune
You can restrict the non-vaccinated employees from entering the office.
You can not take disciplinary action amounts to termination directly.
The employer has a right to impose restriction for safety and security of life of its employees. It is the responsibility of employee to adhere the norms and guidelines of the office.
You need to circulate an implied circular : Employee without both dosages of vaccination shall not be given entry since people without vaccination stands threat to life of other people at work in office and a precaution under ongoing pandemic as a safety & security measure. The employee without the vaccination shall be marked as absent and abstaining from the services at own will & wish. The employee's remain absent for the reason beyond the period of one week/two weeks shall be treated self abandonment of services.
Termination seems to be an extreme action. It is advised that one should check with doctor before getting vaccinated, which means there could be people with health conditions who can't take vaccine and it's not 100% true that only not vaccinated employees are a threat because even a vaccinated employee can be infected with Covid and he/she can still transmit the virus if Covid protocol is not followed. With respect to spreading of the virus, even vaccinated employees are also a threat. This cannot be ignored.
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