Social Graces: Here’s how to handle work colleagues who refuse to get the coronavirus vaccine
Q: You have colleagues who refuse to get the coronavirus vaccine, but your boss wants everyone back in the office. What should you do?
A: It’s quite the conundrum when your principles and your paycheck merge. It is clear that vaccinations decrease the risk of spreading the virus, however, there are those who feel strongly against getting the vaccine or prefer to wait to see if there are negative effects. There may also be a specific reason someone refuses to get the vaccine.
I can’t speak to the legal issue. However, from a social skills viewpoint, it’s important to be transparent with your employer. If you are uneasy, feel free to have a noncombative discussion with your boss about your apprehension. Ask if there are methods that can be put in place for those who prefer to continue to social distance. Perhaps you could work in another office area or continue working remotely.
Keep in mind that many offices are ready to bring back their staff and build their struggling business. Ultimately, it falls on you to decide how comfortable you are with the new corporate environment. Much like any office dilemma, you go through the proper chain of command, ask for a compromise or resolution, and determine if it’s a good and comfortable fit for you to continue as an employee at the company.
This scenario is not uncommon, and most management teams are doing their best to keep everyone employed, safe and productive.
— Diane Gottsman, etiquette expert, author of “Modern Etiquette for a Better Life” and founder of The Protocol School of Texas
A: The reality is not everyone’s going to choose to receive the coronavirus vaccine. The question isn’t how can I change this individual’s mind; it’s what can I do to feel safe and comfortable at work in our new normal.
The answer is threefold. No. 1, continue to wear a mask. No. 2, keep your distance. Two arm lengths of distance is what we communicate and what the CDC recommends. No. 3, communicate these concerns to your employer. Usually, managers can abide by these recommendations.
My belief is that most employers want to keep their employees and to accommodate to the best of their ability, based on recommendations. So it’s not as if employers are going to have a deaf ear to their employees. I think it’s just communicating to your boss and your colleagues what makes you feel safe. Sometimes it’s just a matter of repositioning desks or chairs; this is what they’re doing in restaurants.
— Dr. Christopher Colbert, assistant emergency medicine residency director and professor of clinical emergency medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago
