The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula in the Bay area are gearing up to welcome 1,000 pupils to their summer schedule in June. But this year, there is a new requirement due to their 225-member staff: Covid-19 vaccinations are mandatory
“The vaccines are proven to be secure, they are powerful, and we have to do what’s best for our families and students.
As the country moves toward completely reopening and vaccinations become more easily available, businesses are investigating whether they can legally mandate new or existing employees to be vaccinated. The brief answer is yes.
But there are two exemptions companies need to allow for, according to the EEOC: to get a handicap or religious reasons.
“There is an exception for religious accommodation,” stated Johnny C. Taylor, CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management. “Secondly, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, if someone has a disability and with this particular handicap actually taking the shot might actually put their lives in danger. Then there is also an appropriate exception.”
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While nearly half of all Americans support requiring vaccines for workers to go back to work, 26 percent of adults in a CNN poll said they don’t plan to receive the vaccine at all.
As soon as the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula announced the new vaccine mandate, a couple employees raised concerns, according to Fortenbaugh. Workers have until mid-June to create their choice.
“We are giving them time,” said Fortenbaugh. “But we’re drawing a hard line in the sand that in the event that you would like to be present with pupils, you’ll have to get the vaccine.”
Time is exactly what Bonnie Jacobson said she needed. But Jacobson told her manager wanted to do more study regarding its effects on fertility prior to getting the shot.
“I feel as though I am allowed to have hesitations,” stated Jacobson. “I really feel like I should be allowed the time to do the study that I need and need to do.”
However two weeks later, Red Hook Tavern fired her for not getting vaccinated, according to emails she shared with CNN. I had to just make certain that I had been 100% comfortable with this,” said Jacobson.