Marcus Richards
Vaccinations are the key to surviving many of the world’s most common illnesses. It is through them that we can continue with our daily lives without many of these diseases interrupting our lives. We can continue playing sports for choose to play slot machines online. We can continue interacting with our friends and family without danger. This is especially true for the workforce. We can continue to do our jobs without risk of infection and disrupting goods and services. This begs the question many who are worried about vaccinations want to know. If you are not vaccinated, do you risk your job?
Rise of Anti-Vaxxers
To begin with, anti-vaxxers have been around for some time. For many years, vaccinations have been praised as one of the biggest medical achievements in the 21st century. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees. Only in the most recent years has opposition towards vaccinations started. This started with parents who grew wear of vaccinations for their children. Many different fears were theorized about the negative effects of vaccinations. Some parents believed it would affect their growth. Others believed it would cause mental health issues such as autism or learning difficulties.
Because of the opposition, this has caused a rise in cases for some diseases. Even the Covid-19 pandemic has experienced a lot of opposition for their new vaccines made. Recent anti-vaxxers have made a lot of protests at vaccine units across the world. Even police have been asked to patrol these vaccine units so that they can go undisturbed by protesters. The louder they are, the more unlikely some people may receive vaccinations. Currently, there is no direct law that is telling people they must have a Covid vaccination. However, this could change with a rise in a new policy of “No jab, no job”.
Rule of Vaccination
There has been discussion on businesses being given the right to employ this as a rule for their workplace. The rule is that all employees must have a vaccination before they can continue working or apply for a job there. This is to be added as a condition of employment but not backed by any legal standing. Some firms have already begun refusing to hire new people unless they have been given the jab. In the UK, the government classed that it would be “discriminatory behavior” to demand people have the vaccination before they can work. Not to mention that if employees resisted such a rule, the business would have to take the case to court.
For such a rule to exist, it would have to be analyzed and approved by multiple sources. It would have to gain approval from employees and employers alike to be given full ethical cooperation. Multiple businesses may have different requirements. Some may need a vaccination 100% for it to be run safely for all people. Others may have less pressure to receive a vaccination since they may not interact with people that much. For example, if your job is at home, vaccination may be deemed unnecessary.
Debating the Need for Vaccination
Both advantages and disadvantages can be taken into consideration with such a policy. Whilst operating without vaccination is a choice, that doesn’t necessarily mean the risks are not there. There is always a chance of getting sick at work. Not always will there be an option to just take a break from work though. If it passes around, it could lead to multiple employees facing illness and possibly cause a halt in operations altogether. Relating back to the beliefs of anti-vaxxers, some of them may believe they are avoiding further risks. They can argue that taking the vaccine could lead to further health problems that may stop them from working as well.
A legal director of the law firm Lewis Silkin, David Samuels, suggests that there is nothing that can legally prevent a business from placing a “no jab, no job” tule in their contracts for new hires. To do so, the lawyer still suggests that the job must be analyzed if such a rule can be justified in the first place. If not, then the lawsuits can be a real issue, both financially and ethically.
The Main Benefit
Whilst it may lead to further arguments, some hope that the implementation of such a rule can encourage more people to get vaccinated. The health benefits from the vaccine have been reported to develop a resistance to the disease and its symptoms. Even though the chances are not 100% still, it is through these vaccinations that improvements can be made. Workers are advised to take all safety precautions necessary, regardless of the use of vaccinations. If you could lose your job for not being vaccinated, then the employer will have had significant reason to do so, according to what has been discussed by the government. If not, then that is something that you can decide to take up for further discussion. As is your right to do so.
