My husband's employer is forcing flu vaccination

[Lexie]

So we live in Tacoma, Washington (USA) and my husband works in a security firm. His boss has proven time and time again that he is a cheapskate. Well, his new problem is too many employees taking too much time off during the flu season. So their new rule is for mandatory flu vaccines (seasonal and swine flu). I'm considering a religious exemption for my husband because this is the only way he may not get fired. Washington is an 'at will' state, which means you're allowed to quit or they're allowed to fire you at any time without reason. The only way around that would be some form of discrimination. Which is where the religious exemption would come in.

I told him to look for a new job. In the end, I'd rather not use a religious exemption, but if we have to, we have to... And if they fire him anyway, at least he can sue them for it if they base it on that. They have nothing else to base it on currently as his stats are perfect. But they have been hounding him. What I find outrageous about this is by now everyone at his office has the swine flu. Therefore they will have natural immunity. But they're forcing them all to get the vaccine anyway. Even if he could prove immunity to it, I have a feeling they would still fire him just because they're looking for any little reason to. I don't know why they want to. Perhaps it's because he goes by the rules and it makes the rest of them look bad.

[magical1]

He has had the Swine flu? This employer obviously has no idea what he is doing...They have all just been sick and then give them a shot to lower their immunity? and he thinks that is going to help with absentees? What a hoot.

[Lexie]

Yep, they all either just had it or currently have it. Everyone has been swabbed--except us--and that's exactly what it is, so the company has lots of proof, but they're still planning to force the vaccine on them all anyway. Really clueless.

I'm not sure what we're going to do yet, but I do not want him accepting those vaccines. I think the only thing we can do is file that exemption. Blah.

This is not the only workplace in America not providing medical care that I've heard of this happening in either. All of this flu fear mongering is getting really annoying and all these companies seem to see is dollar signs.

They have as few people staffed as their code allows, so when someone is sick, it means someone else is going to have to end up covering for you on an entirely different shift, but the company doesn't want to pay for overtime, so you end up working for the other person who covered you on one of his/her days off so they don't have to pay them extra. I think that came out more confusing than it was meant to be. I'm just irritable now.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

So what YOU need to do, is take the laboratory evidence, and go to your local radio station and newspaper and expose the company as a bunch of incompetent idiots.

If you sit and do nothing, then another company will do the same.

No point in sitting moaning. Do something. Until the American people all get up and start showing up these things in public, Americans will continue, as sheep, to be lead by the nose.

[Lexie]

We're trying to think of ways to deal with it without getting him fired. We really can't afford that right now unless he's able to find a new job. If he takes it anywhere, they'll just easily gobble it up as an excuse to fire him and that's exactly what we're trying to avoid.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

You say he's one of their best employees. Well, why would anyone want to work for employers with the mindset that they are looking for an excuse to fire their most competent employee?

You've said, that if he doesn't get the vaccine, he gets fired.

I take it that you feel that if he goes to the media, he gets fired.

so you have a choice. Comply and get the vaccine: don't get the vaccine and get fired; go to the media and get fired.

If he does nothing, he sits on barbed wire. Very uncomfortable.

In the end, it comes down to conviction and how much the issues mean to you both. That will determine your choice.

[Lexie]

He doesn't feel one way or another about the issue. He just accepts my feelings on it. He doesn't necessarily think it's healthy, but he definitely doesn't think it's going to kill him. I don't want him to end up hurt or dead because his boss required unnecessary shots and he said, 'It won't happen to me.'

If he does anything but comply, I'm certain that they will fire him. Job security is hard to come by in an at will state. Yes, he's probably their best employee, but there is a certain amount of corruption that he's aware of. They got rid of his first supervisor who also played by the book and was great at her job. She had been there for over 15 years.

He has applied for other jobs, but hasn't found anything yet. Plus the car keeps breaking down and we keep having to pump money into fixing it. In order to go to an interview anywhere, he would need it. Financially, it's a horrible time to create waves.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Then is it time to go to his employer and have a talk? As in, "If I can prove to you that I have natural immunity to H1N1, why is that not enough for you?" It would be interesting to hear the response.

As you know, the internet is full of conspiracy theories.

I'm sitting back watching the various hypotheses, various conspiracy theories, and the various way people are talking about some of the theories being hoaxes.

I know for one, I and my husband will never have any flu vaccines.

So lets look at the looney left:

http://www.congresscheck.com/2009/09/21/joseph-moshe-mossad-microbiologist-%E2%80%9Cswine-flu-vaccine-is-bioweapon%E2%80%9D/

http://fluboard.rhizalabs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1486&sid=9cabc43276a9557003dedac44bc8b0df

http://www.fourwinds10.com/siterun_data/health/vaccinations/news.php?q=1254847403 (http://www.fourwinds10.com/siterun_data/health/vaccinations/news.php?q=1254847403)

Make of that what you like. :alien:

[Lexie]

I'll tell him to talk to HR about it. He had already said he probably would.

And wow, when you said conspiracy theories, I didn't know you meant quite like that.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Whether you subscribe to fruitloopism or not, it's good to know what is being said, primarily because you know that orac dorkland will eventually pontificate on it, and if you don't know, you'll be :scratch: and :eek: when you finally read :alien:. so it pays to know all the coins being tossed around, whatever the flavour :ride: