Can my employer ban me from the office?

[Anothercovidthread]

NC.
I have recently started a new job. It is a non customer facing office job, based in Scotland. The company is very large. I have been working from home since I began the job due to covid restrictions. Today, we were told that we will return to the office towards the end of the month and going forwards we will do 3 days in, and 2 days from home. However, to enter the office, you must show proof of having had 2 covid vaccines. My employer will not store details of who has been vaccinated, you just need to show the info to enter. If you have not had the vaccine you are not allowed in the office unless special circumstances and permissions are agreed directly with HR.

I'm still in probation so very concerned about kicking up a fuss but I think this is very wrong.

1. Why should I have to share medical information with reception staff on a daily basis for the foreseeable?
2. Can the company legally ban people from the office for not having a non mandatory vaccine?
3. Assuming that if you have some kind of non vax agreement with HR, you are provided with some other documentation allowing entry to the office, is the company allowed to insist that its shown on a daily basis to whoever is on reception?

AIBU, the employer is just taking steps to keep people safe?

Just get vaccinated no?

Are you sure they aren’t asking for either;

Proof of vaccine
Negative lateral flow
Proof of natural immunity due to having had covid

This is becoming the standard, so if you haven’t had the vaccine you could just simply do a lateral flow when you’re due in the office?

We had to provide our proof of vaccination to our employer. Unvaccinated staff will be terminated on 1 Dec. Same deal at my children’s nursery. Just to be asked at the door seems pretty unobtrusive to me!

Well if you are vaccinated.. there is not a problem.
If you aren't... frankly you can expect a heap more of this to come . We have to show Covid passes for events such as concerts, theatres etc, I think it'd fairly logical to extend it to work places where people will be in fairly close contact... certainly at my work place we are all vaccinated and about to start boosters (mine's tomorrow!)

Whether it's legal... no idea, but given that care workers are (rightly IMO) going to lose their jobs if they refuse the vaccines... it's likely other work places will follow suit. An awful lot of people have died and now the most at risk are the unvaccinated...

Proof of vaccine
Negative lateral flow
Proof of natural immunity due to having had covid

This is what company requires to get through the door too, although the test must be a (private) PCR, antigen tests not valid.

Perfectly legal and reasonable, it’s keeping us all safe.

What my company requires…

@lawnfever no, they are asking for proof of vaccine only.

They can make anything a condition of your employment as long as it’s not based on you being part of a protected class. Not having had a particular vaccine doesn’t fall into this category, so yes, they absolutely can do what they are doing.

They can also ask you to show specific documents to enter a private building.

If you are medically unable to have the vaccine, I’m sure HR will sort you out with an equivalent pass when they deem it suitable for you to be in the office with other people.

Yes they can ban you if you're unvaccinated.
3 people at my husband's office in the same position.
I don't know how this will pan out in the future though, how long it will last for.

To be honest that policy is for full-time in-person workers only. Any guests or those who only come into the office occasionally must be fully vaccinated at my company too, no discussion.

I don't know what the legalities are, but I imagine they can introduce additional measures to protect their staff if these are deemed necessary. They wouldn't be able to discriminate against you if your vaccination status was linked to some kind of disability/long term health condition, but if it's just personal preference not to get vaccinated, then I don't think you'd have any protection in law.

Can you carry on wfh if you're not allowed in the office?

My company is asking for similar along with lateral flow test results. I’m so grateful they are doing their best to keep people safe.

What are you actually concerned about OP?

Get vaccinated then...

Why should I have to share medical information with reception staff on a daily basis for the foreseeable

This is one of those stupid things that anti-vaxers come out with to try to suggest they are being victimised. Your vaccine card is not ‘medical information’ in the sense you imply.

If there are medical reasons you aren’t being vaccinated, you share that once with HR, not with reception staff on a daily basis.

The thing is, I do think it's absolutely a personal choice as to whether to have the vaccine or not. However, personal choices have consequences and people should be prepared to accept those consequences.

If unvaccinated people are deemed to pose a bigger risk to others than vaccinated people, then obviously, the additional risks will need to be mitigated against.

@burnto I really don't feel comfortable sharing the information. If it was a one off and the details could be added to my pass then I could maybe understand but to have to show the information 3 times a week to different people, I just don't see that its anyones business. If the vaccine was mandatory then fair enough but its not. In Scotland, care staff do not have to have it either, thats only England as far as I'm aware.

Well you have a choice. Vaccine or new job?

@heddagarbled the personal info may only need to be shared with hr however, you would still need to show reception something that wasn't a normal vax cert every day indicating that there is a bigger underlying issue

[quote Anothercovidthread]@lawnfever no, they are asking for proof of vaccine only.[/quote]
Are you actually vaccinated or are you just against telling people you are?

I’m sure if there’s a valid medical reason you’re not vaccinated you could ask to who’s a test, if there’s not then I think you’ll find this request become more & more common whether for work or leisure…

It will become as normal as showing a parking pass or door pass. I couldn't bring myself to get would up about it.

They are not asking you to have an intimate medical exam in the hallway just show proof of vaccine on a phone app. We had to show ours to complete strangers for an event in London a couple of weeks ago it didn't occur to me to have an issue.

Your choice, your inconvenience.

Just provide HR with the medical reason why you can't get vaccinated and they can work out the details of you not having to show proof to reception?

As I understood it the NHS COVID pass was going to show as green/okay for people with a certified medical reason for not being vaccinated, at least on the domestic (i.e., not for international travel) version. Is that still the case?

Seems reasonable enough to me. What's the problem?

Seems reasonable. They are also protecting you. If you are not vaccinated and pick it up from someone at the office you might get quite ill.