The government must take action against care home employers refusing to employ staff hesitant about having the Covid vaccine, or intimidating others into having the injection by linking it to pay and employment.
If the vaccine programme is to work properly and maximum take-up across the social care secured, individuals should be encouraged, not intimidated, into receiving a jab.
UNISON has written to care minister Helen Whately calling for the government to intervene. It follows the announcement that Barchester Healthcare will not hire workers who refuse the vaccine, and will restrict promotions, bonuses and other rewards only to those who have had the injection. A small number of other companies are understood to be considering following suit.
This heavy-handed approach is exactly the opposite of what’s needed to encourage the maximum number of care workers to come forward for the vaccine, says UNISON. It is urging all care companies to adopt a similar approach to that being used across the NHS.
UNISON says the Barchester move goes against the government’s own advice and it wants to see ministers make a stand against the company.
In its letter, UNISON urges the care minister to “send a strong message to employers that putting pressure on staff to take the vaccine as a condition of their work is totally unacceptable”.
“We are asking that you act now to make it clear to the sector that the government expects employers to behave responsibly and promote trust and confidence in the vaccine programme,“ the letter adds.
UNISON regional secretary Clare Williams said: “The vaccination programme is the way out of this health crisis. The more care workers who get a jab, the safer the sector will be.
“But care employers who put punitive measures in place for staff, or make it a condition of work, are undermining trust and confidence in the vaccine. They are also at odds with the sensible approach being taken by most employers and the NHS.
“Companies would do better to concentrate on informing staff about the benefits of the vaccination, rather than intimidating them. Ministers should be firm with Barchester that its approach is wrong and must be reversed.”