LEGAL
As workplaces open up after nearly 18 months of home working, employers are facing a new raft of dilemmas created by Covid-19. Abigail Maino reports
INTEGRATING THE VACCINATED AND NON-VACCINATED
A Covid dilemma While some businesses may continue to keep their teams working predominantly from home, for others, there is a real need to encourage employees back into the workforce. With the majority of people now vaccinated, the risk of transmission in the workplace is mitigated, but what happens when employees choose not to be vaccinated, creating anxiety amongst their vaccinated colleagues? The short answer is that, by law, employers cannot force their staff to be vaccinated. There is an exception for staff in care homes where vaccinations have been made compulsory, but even that legislation has a number of exceptions to it.
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With the prospect of offices having a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated staff, employers are now looking at how to handle the delicate situation when the vaccinated person does not want to sit, or even enter an office, where there are colleagues who have not had the vaccination. A considered approach is always recommended. The first step is for the employer to have a conversation with the vaccinated employee to understand their particular concerns and whether those
The onus is on the employer to consider all options carefully before any formal action is taken ❜❜
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