
Kansas Court Upholds Denial of Unemployment Benefits to Vaccine Objector
Is an employee who was dismissed for refusing a flu vaccine entitled to unemployment insurance payments?
In many workplaces, especially hospitals, workers may be required to receive a vaccine against influenza or the flu as a condition of continued employment. There may be limited exceptions for religious or medical reasons, and some workplaces allow conscientious objectors to wear a mask as an alternative under so-called "vaccine-or-mask" policies. Many, however, insist on a vaccine.
Employers Sometimes Reject An Employee's Stated Medical Reasons
When a hospital employee in Kansas gave her employer a brief note from her doctor asking to "defer" her flu shot, the hospital did not accept it as a valid medical excuse. The employee then sent a more detailed explanation, saying that an aunt of hers had passed away two weeks after being vaccinated for the flu and that, after immunizations, her grandson had suffered seizures and permanent brain damage.
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