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.
No they shouldn't. I almost hit the roof when our city instituted this for city employees at an administrative level. There was no allowance for those who had had covid and frankly I think treating employees differently as to those who took the shot those who didn't breeds division. Some get more benefits if they make a certain health decision over those who for a variety of reasons choose differently. Some even have a doctor recommending against it due to their health situation. It may be a compromise over mandated shots but it's still not a good idea. What about those who took the shot back in the beginning and now the efficacy is waning and they may get covid or just spread. Do we now incentivize for the booster? and the booster after that. Where does this end? No mandates and no compromise on personal health decisions. If hospitals want to not be overrun then they need to start promoting health and boosting immunity and then early treatment instead of "here take this and come back when you get worse and we can put you on a ventilator since we aren't using or promoting a variety of good options for early treatment". We have more and more of us here locally who got covid some a lot worse than others but were able to be treated and monitored at home with early treatment and kept us all out of the hospital. We plan to help friends and family in the same way. I'm sick of hearing about people dying in the hospital who may have never ended up there had testing gotten done ASAP after onset of symptoms and then immediate intervention from medical folks who are not beholden to big medical and have researched and networked with other doctors even in other countries and have a clue about how to treat this wicked virus and how to adjust treatment based on the patient's individual symptom and needs. In the mean time get your D up above 50 and have pertinent early treatment items already on hand and know what doctor (we are making a list) you may need to call who knows what they heck they're doing and isn't afraid to use their brain and the science they learned and are still learning.
Great ideas!