Employers should not force vaccines on their workers | Emma Kay

Cabinet ministers have dubbed it the ‘jab for a job’ scheme, meaning you must have the vaccine in order to be hired.

It is a controversial idea that has seen quite a bit of backlash. To compel someone to have a vaccination in order to keep their job is discriminatory. The Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, demonstrates, quite rightly, that individuals cannot be forced to undergo medical health treatment which includes vaccinations.

But are we putting ourselves at further risk by disappearing down this rabbit hole? Should employees be under a contractual requirement to get jabbed? We have mandatory masks.

The cruise ship, The Spirit of Adventure, is one of the first business ventures to make it mandatory for all customers to have the jab before boarding on May 4. The same rules do not apply to the crew as the company feels ‘compulsion would not feel right’.

From a logical standpoint, there is no doubt that taking a vaccine if you are healthy is a reasonable request from any employer as it takes into account the personal safety of employees and any potential clients for your company.

Policies like this can certainly be seen as justifiable in cases where people are working where the vulnerable are put at serious risk if people forgo the vaccine. Care homes, hospitals and schools would be seen as crystal-clear workplaces where vaccines should be mandatory to combat Covid. We cannot protect the vulnerable if we do not take the measures to stop the spread.

But this means the dismal process for those who do not want the jab must be a reasonable process as well. They must be given the opportunity to state their case for refusal.

It’s going to be a tough time for employers. It would be a dire mistake to treat the hesitant the same as those with their arm’s at the ready. Everyone has different needs and beliefs that deserve careful consideration. Jab, but do not judge.

Those of us following the rules, keep up the good work​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Although many of us are working from home, there are numerous workers who are bravely going into busy workplaces every day and being scrunched in together.

Squirreling away from your uncaring workmates to maintain your own personal safety is isolating and dull.

Being the only one constantly, consistently and correctly reminding people to sanitise, ventilate and stay away from you is no fun and takes a toll on your mental well-being.

It would be so tempting to throw in the towel and convert to the un-caring crowd. But endure the eye-rolling and head shaking, then, at least you will sleep at night knowing you are in the right. Keep your head high.

Our country must right its wrongs for justice to be seen

Veterans who cruelly had their medals removed for being gay or transgender are finally able to get back what was wrongly taken from them.

Their medals and honours will be restored under the ‘Turing Law’ which gives posthumous pardons to wrongly convicted individuals based on their sexuality. We should be proud that Turing’s Law exists so all kinds of people are acknowledged for their bravery.

Turing’s cracking of the enigma code saved millions of lives. Had he not been punished for simply being homosexual, computer science might have accelerated tenfold. Justice must be seen, no matter how much time passes.