What you need to know when you’re considering the impact of the vaccine mandate

Unless you’ve been in an information vacuum for the last two weeks, you’ve undoubtedly heard that the Biden administration is going to require that employers that employ more than 100 people ensure that their employees are either vaccinated for COVID-19 or are undergoing weekly testing. This announcement has met with mixed reviews. On one side, this could be a meaningful way to mitigate the spread and mutation of the virus under whose control we’ve been living for the last (almost) 2 years. On the other side, there are concerns about employer and government overreach and bodily autonomy. 

It is no secret that human beings, by our nature, fear the unknown. Indeed, this pandemic has brought to the forefront many unknowns. And, while social media and the advent of the internet have democratized access to more information than ever before, they have also contributed to a proliferation of misinformation. The degree of misinformation out there ranges from the plausible, for example, that vaccinated people needn’t take masking or distancing precautions to the absurd, like the belief that the vaccine changes one’s DNA. As usual, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Let’s break this down as it pertains to employers and employees by explaining some common misconceptions: 

My employer can’t force me to get a vaccine. This is true, and no employer is going to force anyone to get vaccinated. You can choose not to vaccinate, but that choice can come with some unpleasant consequences, including losing your job. 

My employer can opt-out of this if they want. If your company meets the criteria outlined by the government, no, they really can’t. This will be law, and there will be fines for non-compliance.

What about religious exemptions? There are some valid religious exemptions, but these are becoming more difficult to secure. It would be unwise to count on getting a religious exemption. 

There’s no way my company is going to go along with this. Employers in every industry, from fast food to high finance, are poised to enforce this mandate. It is no joke. 

A lingering question concerns how the mandate will affect remote workers. After all, the pandemic has proven that most white-collar jobs can be done well remotely, with no impact on productivity. So, what about the remote worker who does not wish to be vaccinated? How would this impact them? At this point, it is unknown how employers will enforce the vaccination/testing mandate with remote workers. But this is what a client told me she recently heard in response to the question at her company’s town hall meeting: even remote employees will occasionally be expected to come into the office for meetings and other collaborative activities. They may also be out and in front of customers. The company needs to ensure the safety of its customers and employees and will require vaccination/testing for remote workers as well. 

If you choose not to get the vaccine, you will need to carefully weigh the cost/benefit of that choice. Is it worth being excluded from customer or client meetings? Or potentially losing your job? With the Delta variant continuing to be an issue and more mutations on the horizon, it does not appear that the current trajectory will ameliorate the pandemic. If you do choose to remain unvaccinated, please take precautions to protect the health of those around you, such as wearing a mask, physically distancing yourself, and washing your hands.