Employers can make the COVID vaccine mandatory. Should they? – WHYY

The karaoke party was the final straw for Dr. Eric Berger, the owner of Center City Pediatrics.

Berger had already started working on a mandatory coronavirus vaccine policy for his staff when two unvaccinated medical assistants came to work sick after attending a birthday party in April.

I felt burned, because we had really gone over and beyond through the entire epidemic to try to keep people safe, said Berger. That included offering incentives such as an extra vacation day for workers who received a vaccine. Four unvaccinated staffers who sang karaoke that night eventually tested positive for COVID-19, and administrators scrambled to figure out who might have been exposed.

The timing could not have been worse. After taking a financial hit during the pandemic, Center City Pediatrics was trying to encourage families to feel comfortable making appointments again. We had just sent out [an email] blast, a week or so before, explaining why we were a safe place for you to bring your child, said Berger.

Federal guidance supports employers right to require the COVID-19 vaccine for all employees who physically enter the workplace, allowing for religious and medical exemptions when possible. Some universities, nonprofits, and law firms in the Philadelphia region have implemented vaccine mandates. But doing so can be a tough decision, said employers and employment attorneys, and a gray area remains.

After consulting with attorneys, leadership at Center City Pediatrics gave all remaining unvaccinated staff two weeks to get a jab. Two people quit immediately according to David Bannett, practice administrator. Eventually, a total of seven staff members left.

Losing staff at a critical time for the practice gave Berger pause about his decision, but ultimately, he believes it was the right thing to do.

Its worth it, but it has been very difficult, said Berger.

Keystone Crossroads asked to be connected with the employees who left, but Berger and Bannett declined after they said their practice began receiving attention on an anti-vaccination website.

Medical assistant Brittany Kissling, 33, said she had initially been nervous but ultimately decided to get vaccinated, as the breadwinner in a family with four kids. Ultimately, I could not afford to take that risk, she said. Still, she understood the hesitancy of her peers.

Because it was so new, they were just not comfortable, she said.

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Employers can make the COVID vaccine mandatory. Should they? - WHYY