That is why compulsory vaccination at work is likely to remain the exception

From Swiss to Novartis to Swiss Re: Although some employers rely on mandatory vaccinations, they have to provide adequate reasons for the requirement. Compulsion should therefore by no means become the rule.

Employers may, under certain conditions, request a Covid certificate at the workplace. Swiss airline promptly announced that it would only fly with vaccinated personnel. But the opinions of lawyers, associations and trade unions on compulsory vaccination differ greatly.

Now the question arises as to how it is should continue in the workplace with regard to vaccinations and certificates. In particular with the imminent end of free tests , the situation is likely to worsen and the discussions will become more heated

The pharmaceutical company Novartis and the insurers Swiss Re and Zurich have already announced that their employees will receive a Covid certificate to demand. In addition, some Swiss Post employees are subject to the certificate requirement if they deliver parcels and letters to hospitals where no one can enter without a certificate.

So far the Swiss case has been an exception in Switzerland, as Barbara Spalinger, Vice President of the Swiss Union of Transport Staff ( SEV), explained in an interview with the news agency “AWP”. The obligation to vaccinate Swiss flight personnel can only be justified in connection with the special working conditions in an aircraft, she explains.

Money or vacation for vaccination

Admittedly There is also a certificate requirement for personnel in public transport at other companies. According to the expert, a certificate can also be obtained through tests and not just with the vaccination.

Accordingly, refusing a vaccination is not a reason for discharge in most cases. Only if the employee is unable to work or does not want to be tested without a vaccination does the question of dismissal arise, she explained.

The economic umbrella organization Economiesuisse calls on employers to respect the vaccination-free status of employees. Many large companies therefore try to provide information and incentives instead of pressure and coercion. Several companies have organized a vaccination offer at the workplace in the last few months, some have even offered bonuses or additional days off.

The end of the free tests exacerbates the situation

So have Swiss Casinos, for example, offered their employees 200 francs for vaccination. Or the fashion salesman Tally Weijl tried to make the vaccination attractive to the employees with two days off.

With the end of the free tests, the situation around vaccination and testing is likely to worsen. From October 10th, group tests could still be taken over in companies. Individual tests, for example on business trips, should no longer be reimbursed.

Most companies could accommodate the unvaccinated employees and Fund tests at least for a transitional period, says Basile Dacorogna, project manager at the Economiesuisse Association.

Vaccination remains Private matter – for the time being

The costs for tests could, however, especially small companies in distress bring. According to Dacorogna, it is possible that employers will then no longer want to pay for the tests. According to Barbara Spalinger from SEV, this is not possible at all: With the end of the free tests, the employer is forced to pay for them. The opinions of the experts on the subject therefore differ.

Protection of privacy is also important, emphasized Christian Oberson, President of the professional association HR Geneva. So if an employer takes sides for or against vaccination, there is a risk that tensions will worsen. Ultimately one judges something that is the responsibility of the individual and not of the company, at least as long as vaccination is not mandatory in Switzerland.

A recent survey carried out by the job search platform Indeed in Switzerland showed that the majority of respondents (61%) are against compulsory vaccination. Almost a third would look for a new job or quit if the employer asked for a vaccination. Among the non-vaccinated, the proportion rises to 86 percent.

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