STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (7News) — As businesses and schools reopen, employers are often putting workers into one of two categories: vaccinated and unvaccinated.
Delta Airlines is tacking on $200 a month to employees’ health insurance premiums if they don’t get the COVID-19 shot. Labor and employment law attorney Katie Lipp of Lipp Law Firm says businesses are trying to incentivize workers.
“Sometimes they use a carrot, sometimes they use a stick,” she told 7News.
More along the lines of the “carrot,” Stafford County Public Schools is offering vaccinated employees 10 days of paid, no charge, Emergency COVID Leave if they get sick or need to quarantine.
An unvaccinated teacher reached out to 7News On Your Side and said she is quarantining at home after a student tested positive for the virus. Unlike her vaccinated colleagues, she must use her own sick time and not the free COVID leave.
“It is legal to do what Stafford County is doing, however, if a client were to contact me, we represent a lot of employers and employees, I would not recommend that they treat unvaccinated employees differently,” Lipp explained.
She said this isn’t about the school district, any employer treating workers differently risks a lawsuit based on religious or medical reasons.
Stafford County Public Schools sent 7News a statement, saying in part: “Requests for exceptions for unvaccinated staff will be reviewed when needed for determining eligibility for Emergency Covid Leave.”
The teacher 7News spoke with said she submitted a request but does not think she will qualify. After her quarantine time is up, she will have used 7 of her 10 allotted sick days.
“A much better approach, I think, is treat vaccinated and unvaccinated employees who get COVID the same way,” said Lipp. “Have them use their sick leave. That’s what sick leave is for.”