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As an employer, you want to do what is best for your company. Making sure that all of your employees are vaccinated against Covid-19 could be an important matter of health and safety. But what if certain employees don’t want to get vaccinated? Should you respect their views or should you tell them that they can no longer work for you?

Below are a few questions that could help you weigh up the best option.

How great is the risk of infection? 

If your work is very hands-on and it involves being around lots of people, you should carefully consider the risk an unvaccinated employee could pose. For example, it could be dangerous for an unvaccinated employee to be working at a massage parlour or a busy restaurant. There may not be so much risk when working in an office with a small number of familiar colleagues - especially an office in which clients don’t visit. Ultimately, it’s up to you to weigh up the risk and the possible effects if you don’t take action. If a customer does become seriously ill due to contact with an unvaccinated employee, it could be damaging to your reputation and there may even be a lawsuit heading your way. 

Could you end up losing talent?

Choosing not to hire unvaccinated employees could cause you to lose out on talent. If one of your most loyal and productive employees refuses to get vaccinated, do you really want to fire them? Probably not. However, by choosing to let them remain, you’ll likely have to let other unvaccinated employees remain as to not make an exception. Think about who is on your team right now and the types of people you may want to hire in the future. If you require specialist talent, consider whether you can afford to reject future candidates who may otherwise fit the job description? 

Should you pressure existing employees into getting the vaccine?

You should be careful of pressuring employees too forcefully into getting the vaccine. They may later sue you if they feel they were forced into the decision - especially if they end up experiencing negative side effects to the vaccine. At the same time, don’t feel that you cannot apply any pressure. It could be worth directing employees to sources of information such as this site Benecard PBF. Don’t be afraid to sit down with employees and have a discussion about their views to further understand them.

How will you screen employees?

You should consider how you will screen employees to determine whether they are vaccinated. This could involve them giving proof in the form of a vaccine passport. Determine whether new applicants need to bring this to the interview or whether you need proof before this. Alternatively, you may decide to go on the word of employees to reduce the paperwork.