Mayo Clinic Lays Off Their 700 Unvaccinated Employees As Mandate Challenges

Amid the challenges of the vaccine mandate across the country, the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota lays off 700 unvaccinated employees after they were unable to receive vaccines before the deadline, according to news reports.

The Mayo Clinic lays off unvaccinated employees representing about 1% of Mayo’s 73,000 workers, reported TV media, a CBS affiliate in Minnesota.

Employees had to receive at least the first protective vaccine against COVID-19 or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons.

The print media reported that Mayo Clinic said it granted most of the waiver requests.

If laid-off employees are vaccinated later, they can return to the Rochester-based health system for future openings.

Mayo Clinic also operates hospitals and clinics in Arizona, Florida, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

The clinic said that while Mayo Clinic is saddened to lose valuable employees. We should keep our patients, workforce, visitors, and communities safe. To achieve the noble task, we must initiate all the necessary steps.

The statement continued based on science and data. Thus, it is clear that vaccination keeps people out of the hospital and saves lives. It is specifically true for the many patients with severe or complex conditions who seek care at Mayo Clinic daily.

Mayo joins employers across the country who are laying off or punishing workers who refuse to get vaccinated.

The existing Federal laws do not prevent employers from needing all employees who enter the workplace physically to have a vaccination against COVID-19 fully. According to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission(EEOC), the said rule is in force. It is subject to reasonable accommodations.

But Republican-led states, conservative organizations, and businesses have been fighting the workplace vaccine mandates.

The U.S. Supreme Court will have a hastily-scheduled special session to consider challenges to two Biden administration policies covering vaccine requirements for millions of employees. Those policies affect large employers and workers in the United States’ health.

In a special session in Florida, lawmakers voted in November to pass a bill pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to find businesses with employee vaccine mandates.

Sentinel’s Gray Rohrer said that many Republicans had debated the bill. They argued that it was a practice for rejecting vaccination requirements for businesses. It arises from the administration of President Joe Biden through an executive order.

The Media reported that the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity moved forward with a rule. The said rule would allow government employees to keep themselves eligible for unemployment benefits. They lost or fired their jobs for refusing to comply with coronavirus vaccination mandates.

The controversy is also affecting the military.

In August, the Defense Department issued a mandate for full vaccination of the service members, and the relative deadlines have passed. The media reported that they had shot more than 97% of active-duty forces at least once. However, about 30,000 active duty service members remain without vaccination. 

Texas, the largest contingent of any state, has more than 20,000 National Guard members. According to the lawsuit prevailing in federal court in East Texas, about 40% of its Army National Guard refuse vaccination for religious or other accommodation needs.