The possible firing of three employees at Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey has generated heated opinions
Thursday's story about three women who say they expect to be fired for refusing to get a flu shot or wear a surgical mask in their office has generated hundreds of comments and heated opinions on NJ.com.
Megan Duncan, Alanda Watson and Denise Mercurius say they are careful about what they put into their bodies and are deeply opposed to receiving the flu vaccine, a requirement under a new policy put in place by their employer, Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey.
As an alternative, the women could wear a mask while at work during flu season, but they are opposed to that option as well, saying it is embarrassing and sets them apart from their colleagues.
Related: They said no to company-mandated flu shot and now fear firing. Here's why.
They contend that because they have no contact with clients of the non-profit social service agency, they are not a risk. The agency's president counters that some people in the office frequently visit nursing homes and other sites where they come into contact with people who have compromised immune systems, raising the specter of cross-contamination.
In addition, the president said, families sometimes come into the Burlington Township office in connection with the agency's adoption service. She calls the mandate a common-sense safety measure.
Duncan, Watson and Mercurius expect to learn their fate Friday morning, when they are scheduled to meet with a company executive.
Some readers applauded the women for taking a stand against what they see as a personal intrusion into their private lives. Others said public safety must trump the employees' personal choices and castigated the women for declining to wear masks as a reasonable alternative.
Here are two views:
It is insane that any job in the U.S. requires the workers be routinely injected with drugs/chemicals. Who owns our bodies? Our employer? The government?
If a healthcare company requires its medical employees to get a flu shot, it only seems fair to ask the office people to do the same. The mask alternative is a fair accommodation for those who prefer not to get shots. The organization has a responsibility to protect medical clients and patients from exposure to the flu.
Do these workers deserve to be fired? Cast your vote to show where you stand.