On June 12, Judge Hughes dismissed the lawsuit filed by 178 employees of the Houston Methodist hospital. I wrote about that dismissal here. Those employees have already submitted their notice of appeal.
Now, more than 150 employees of that same hospital have quit or been fired, because they refused to take the vaccine. See CBS news report here. The Methodist Hospital had set June 7 as the deadline to take the vaccine. On June 8, 178 employees were placed on two weeks suspension without pay, because they refused to accept the COVID19 vaccine. Jennifer Brodges, the lead plaintiff, said the Director of the hospital called her on June 21 and asked if she had taken the vaccine, yet. She said absolutely not. So, the Dorector fired her. Ms. Bridges has already started a new job.
Judge Hughes warned that if the employees did not like the vaccine requirement, then they could quit. He meant that Texas is an at-will state. Most states have employment at-will. At-will employment means an employee can quit whenever s/he wishes, and that an employer can fire an employee for any reason, short of discrimination. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued guidance saying that an employer can require the COVID19 vaccine, so long as the vaccine does not impinge on a legitimate religious belief or so long as the requirement does not present some health risk.
I have had a few phone calls about this vaccine requirement. Yes, an employer can require an employee to take the vaccine, so long as it does not interfere with religious beliefs or create some health risk. As Judge Hughes said, the employee who does not want the vaccine can quit. Or, such an employee can form a union and then negotiate terms of the job like vaccines.
from Texas Bar Today https://ift.tt/2SR8AXx
via Abogado Aly Website
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