Instead of Mandating Vaccines, Employers Should Do This
There is an employee labor shortage. A hospital or medical practice mandating the COVID vaccine to staff could find themselves with further staffing shortages as doctors and nurses move to other providers and private practices not mandating the vaccine. A local hospital here in Middle Georgia is so overwhelmed with COVID and short staffed that it had a 30 hour wait for emergency room visits the other day.
That’s just hospitals.
Other businesses are weighing what to do and some are mandating vaccines. Like it or not, there are some employees who simply do not want or do not think they need the vaccine either because of natural immunity due to prior infection or for other health reasons. I know one person whose doctor is adamant she cannot get the vaccine because of a pre-existing autoimmune condition and is having to convince her employer not to fire her. She has had to get a lawyer involved.
I know a number of people, mostly nurses still of child bearing age, who flat out do not want the vaccine and are happy to quit and go work for doctors instead of hospitals. I know a pilot at United Airlines who intends to quit over the vaccine mandate.
I have an alternative. Instead of mandates or no mandates, do this.
Check out these posts from yesterday. We didn’t send them out by email, but they’re on the site with video. They’re some of my radio monologues.
First, employers should make clear to employees that they will not be forced to get the vaccine, but the employers do encourage vaccination.
Second, set a policy that if an employee gets the vaccine and still tests positive for COVID that the employee will not be required to take existing PTO for sick leave or vacation. Instead, the employee will be given time off with pay and will return after a negative PCR COVID test or fourteen days after testing positive. There’ll be no deduction in PTO.
Third, set a policy that if an employee chooses not to get the vaccine, the employee will have to take PTO. If an employee uses up all sick days, he will have to cut into his vacation days. If he uses up all of the above, he will have his pay reduced each day missed. He will be required to have a negative PCR COVID test to return to work, which typically takes 24 hours to get back.
Fourth, if possible, allow employees to work from home if feasible, but do not allow a COVID positive employee to work from home. Require employees to take the time off and rest, even asymptomatic employees.
Doing these things will encourage employees to get vaccinated and put the burden on the unvaccinated employees without forcing them to pick between their job and a vaccine some remain skeptical of or have other reasons to not take.
This does not have to be a binary choice. Employers can provide this alternative to mandates and I think they should. It is the fairest solution.
It is better than what is being done now. Though there is still some coercion involved, were I still employed, I could deal with it. Another thing that would help is for the politicians and the media to stop restricting speech that disagrees with the chosen approach. No matter how you look at it, when the powers that be insist on requirements that are completely illogical and at odds with any real science, we aren't going to trust them on anything.
Nice recommendations, worth considering.
Having said that... first, employers must have the freedom to do as they see fit. Whatever they believe is to the best interest of their business.
Whether that is 'mandating vaccination', which in reality means: Hey, to work here these are the requirements: A bachelors degree, 5 years of experience, level expertise in tool A, Covid vaccinated....
Second, consider this: we already tried the 'recommendation with a honor system' approach, and it did not work. We did it with masks when employers said, "if you are vaccinated, you can stop wearing a mask, if you are not, then please wear a mask"... and we started seeing many non-vaccinated taking advantage of the new policy and not wearing a mask.
It is the sad reality.