London’s largest independent plumbing company, Pimlico Plumbers, plans to introduce a “no jab, no job” policy that will require all of its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Pimlico founder and chairman Charlie Mullins revealed that the company’s lawyers were drafting new employment contracts for its 400 employees with the vaccine requirement included.
“No vaccine, no job,” Mullins declared during an interview with City A.M. “When we go off to Africa and Caribbean countries, we have to have a jab for malaria – we don’t think about it, we just do it. So why would we accept something within our country that’s going to kill us when we can have a vaccine to stop it?”
The legality of employer-mandated vaccination is not yet proven, and while many businesses have encouraged their employees to vaccinate against COVID-19, most have not attempted to mandate it as necessary for continued employment.
Employment lawyers have suggested that attempts by companies to force vaccinations could lead to claims of discrimination or unfair dismissal under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984. Other countries’ employment laws may be more lenient, though there is little precedent for widespread enforced vaccination against a pandemic.
Australian lobby group the Council of Small Business Organisations said last summer that it would back mandatory employee vaccinations. “If one of my staff members says: ‘No, I’m against it’, then I’m going to have to say: ‘I’m sorry you are a threat to my business’,” said Peter Strong, chief executive of the council.
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“If you don’t sack them, you don’t have a business, especially if you’re in a high-contact area where you’ve got a lot of customers.”
While its “no jab, no job” policy is a new development, Pimlico Plumbers has already implemented company rules to prevent anyone from entering its offices without a negative COVID-19 test, with prospective new hires unable to proceed with their applications until they test negative.
