Employees and COVID-19 Vaccination

Employees and COVID-19 Vaccination

 

Pimlico Plumbers, a company who have previously made employment law headlines, have announced that they intend to require all their workers to be vaccinated as a condition of their employment.

Is this a good idea for employers? Frankly, No.

Employers should be very wary of following this lead. Potential issues include human rights infringement, discrimination on grounds of belief, disability and/or pregnancy, and data protection concerns.

There are some circumstances where employers might be able to require employees to be vaccinated if, for example, an employee would not be able to carry out their role without vaccination. This could include employees required to travel abroad to areas requiring vaccination, or employees working in areas that cannot be made Covid secure. It could well be a reasonable instruction from a care home employer, on the basis that not being vaccinated risks the health and safety of vulnerable people.

ACAS has suggested that employers are not able to require employees to take the vaccine and should listen to the reasons should an employee refuse. Employers may be able to take disciplinary action if the reason for the refusal is unreasonable, but should be aware of potential discrimination if the reason for not wishing to take the vaccine is protected under the Equality Act 2010. Employers may wish to consider implementing a vaccine policy.

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