UK firms weigh risks of forcing their staff to get coronavirus jabs

theguardian.com:

The topic of Covid has proved so divisive at the women’s healthcare business run by Julie Čolan that she has banned all mention of it during team meetings.

The pandemic has been a “nightmare” for company owner Čolan, after she saw trade fairs and exhibitions cancelled, leaving her with money tied up in unsold stock. On top of that, she has been worrying about the wellbeing of her staff.

Despite differing views about the jab among her three employees at Secret Whispers, based in Market Harborough in Leicestershire, Čolan has decided not to require them to be vaccinated. “They are very respectful but everyone has a different opinion,” Čolan said, adding: “I have asked them to be informed and do their research before they make up their mind. But it is their decision to make.”

UK companies large and small are debating the vaccine question, and whether to differentiate between vaccinated and unvaccinated members of their workforce.

Even as plan B measures are due to be lifted in England this week, employers are still anticipating some level of disruption to their operations from Covid, including higher levels of staff absence. This comes at a time when many are trying to claw back the costs of keeping business going during the pandemic.

Like Čolan, the vast majority of employers have decided not to mandate vaccination for their staff, fearing it could risk resignations or even leave them open to legal claims of unfair dismissal or discrimination. Yet firms are divided over how best to proceed. In recent days, Next, Ikea and Ocado are among the firms to raise their heads above the parapet. The retailers have changed their company sickness policy and will be treating jabbed and unjabbed workers differently.

They follow a move by