Unvaccinated workers ‘to have $50 a month deducted from wages’ by employers
https://www.the-sun.com/money/3453300/unvaccinated-covid-workers-wage-cut/
UNVACCINATED workers are set to have up to $50 deducted from their monthly wages by bosses, according to reports.
The charge is to cover extra health insurance costs due to
coronavirus.
Mercer, one of the largest health benefits consultancies, said at least 20 employers have contacted it in order to add the surcharges.
It's an aim to drive up vaccination rates among Americans as the Delta variant recently
became the dominant Covid-19 strain.
Plenty of retailers and businesses have previously offered freebies, gift cards and cash bonuses as an incentive to get the shot.
Getting the vaccine naturally boosts your chances of staying healthy, alongside your colleagues and family members.
But there's also a financial reason, as Covid can lead to serious illness and an expensive hospital stay costs the worker and company-paid insurance.
This, in turn, could increase health insurance premiums too.
Wade Symons, Mercer’s regulatory resources group leader, told
USA Today: "Unvaccinated folks have the potential to cost employers more from a health care cost perspective, so they’re feeling they’re justified in that additional surcharge."
This would be similar to the $20 to $50 a month employers already charge workers who smoke, he added.
In fact, health insurers are allowed to charge smokers up to 50% more for premiums in most states.
If you're hit by the maximum monthly charge, this would cost you $600 extra a year.
Mercer declined to confirm which companies and sectors are looking to implement the surcharges when contacted by The Sun today.
The reports come as CNN last week fired three of its workers by going to the office unvaccinated, meaning they breached Covid protocol.
In July, the Department of Veterans Affairs
became the first major federal agency to require its health care workers to get Covid-19 shots.
Google and Facebook have also implemented vaccine rules for workers returning to the office.
Can you get fired if you refuse to get vaccinated?
The simple answer is yes,
bosses can generally sack you if you refuse to get the Covid-19 vaccine.
"Under the law, an employer can force an employee to get vaccinated, and if they don’t take it, fire them," Dallas labor and employment attorney Rogge Dunn said.
Although, there may be exceptions if you can't get the shot due to health or religious reasons.
If you're fired due to not getting vaccinated, you may also
struggle to claim unemployment benefits.
This is because refusing to follow a company-wide policy could be considered misconduct.
