The coronavirus crisis has disrupted the workflow of organizations and many industries. But now the vaccine shot the employees are questioning “Is it mandatory to get a vaccine shot during the hiring?” The lack of immunization to the employees could harm the workflow of the organization, therefore getting a vaccination shot could become a potential requirement, with little or no exceptions.

Does that mean that the vaccination shot will become a part of pre-employment screening? Or is it too early to tell?

How serious is the Covid-19 and Vaccination situation?

As per a report, more than 60 million doses have been given to the frontline workers and the aged people. The country is working to scale up the drive due to the increased number of cases. India is running one of the largest immunization programs that till now have vaccinated millions that include newborns, pregnant women against the infection caused.

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Watching the situation of the pandemic effect on the employees and their health could it be introduced and become a regular part of background screening?

Can employers require employees to be vaccinated?

The government has not yet introduced legislation that makes vaccines a necessity for the employees therefore for now it entirely depends on the individual whether to take one or not. Those organizations who want to make the vaccine compulsory can opt for other means such as the introduction of a special provision in the employee contract. However, an employer can offer flexibility in such a policy to accommodate the situation where the person can be exempted from the vaccination for some major health issues.

For now, the employers have imposed no such laws that mandate the vaccination but looking at the scenario it may be introduced soon. Now, it depends on the workplace considerations but the higher risk of a non-vaccinated employee in the organization imposes a threat on other employees too, and therefore the requirement to be vaccinated may soon be introduced as a part of pre-employment screening!

How the employer knows the employee is vaccinated?

Employers who want a safer and smooth return into the workspace may want to confirm whether the employees working with them have taken the vaccine or not. Businesses must make it a convincing ethical case to mandate the vaccine to better protect their employees, clients, and customers. 

Sharing vaccination status with an employer is legal. Employers are free to ask their employees the proof of their vaccination dose. It has now been reported that employers are maintaining a database of the employees. 

Scenarios where the vaccination becomes mandatory 

1. Employee working in a medical facility

For now, if you are a hospital employee and working in a medical facility it makes complete sense to mandate vaccination in such scenarios. Yes, there are many parts of the country that corresponds to mandate the laws of getting vaccinated before they join the organization. 

2. Workplace with the outbreak

If there is an outbreak in the workplace, your employer may mandate that the employees are vaccinated. Working in an industry that is health and safety-sensitive, here the employees have more reasons where they can demand the vaccination record from the employee.

 

Final thoughts

It seems very obvious that an employee background check must be carried before hiring a new employee and sooner or later the vaccination shot will become mandatory for the employees willing to work with the reputed organizations. The health crisis continues to change with the days, and organizations should update their work policies concerning the changing scenario.

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