Unvaccinated health workers in England could be fired without compensation

Unvaccinated healthcare staff in England face being sacked without an exit payment, an official document shows.

Frontline National Health Service (NHS) staff must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 with two doses by April 1, meaning they must have had their first vaccine on February 3.

Healthcare employers have been told that from the following day, February 4, unjabbed staff should be invited to a meeting and told that a potential outcome may be dismissal.

Omicron: UK health authorities 'confident' variant is less severe

“The NHS has always been clear that the life-saving Covid vaccination is the best protection against the virus, and while it is currently a recommendation for health and care staff to be vaccinated, it will soon become a legal requirement,’ said NHS national medical director Professor Stephen Powis.

“The overwhelming majority of staff in NHS organisations, nine in ten, have already had their second jab, and NHS employers will continue to support and encourage staff who have not yet been vaccinated to take up the offer of the 1st and 2nd doses ahead of the April 1, when regulations come into effect.”

The guidance, published on Friday and reported on by the Health Service Journal, is for the implementation of Vaccination as a Condition of Deployment (VCOD).

The 24-page document says: “It is important to note this is not a redundancy exercise. In the context of the regulations, there is no diminishment or cessation of work of a particular kind.

“Employers will not be concerned with finding 'suitable alternative employment' and there will be no redundancy entitlements, including payments, whether statutory or contractual, triggered by this process.

“The redeployment or dismissal of workers is determined by the introduction of the regulations and an individual's decision to remain unvaccinated.

“Whilst organisations are encouraged to explore redeployment, the general principles which apply in a redundancy exercise are not applicable here, and it is important that managers are aware of this.”

The guidance says employers should engage and work in collaboration with their trade union or staff side representatives, as to the formal measures being taken “in respect of redeployment processes and potential dismissals of staff due to VCOD".

Alternative options potentially available to an unvaccinated staff member — such as any possible adjustments to their current role, restrictions to duties or redeployment opportunities available — should also be explored, the document says.

It adds: “From 4 February 2022, staff who remain unvaccinated (excluding those who are exempt) should be invited to a formal meeting chaired by an appropriate manager, in which they are notified that a potential outcome of the meeting may be dismissal. Meetings may take place in person or virtually.”

The document comes after leading midwives called for an “immediate delay” to plans for mandatory Covid-19 jabs for frontline health workers.

The Royal College of Midwives said the policy could have a significant impact on maternity services, arguing this week that current staff absences are at their highest level since the pandemic began.

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

Match info

Australia 580
Pakistan 240 and 335

Result: Australia win by an innings and five runs

Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.

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Company profile

Name: The Concept

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Sector: Aviation and space industry

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