Brazil allows companies to lay off workers who are not vaccinated against COVID

Brazil's Federal Supreme COURT (STF, acting as the Constitutional Court) has allowed companies to require workers to be vaccinated against the CORONAVIRUS. This is stated in the message on the website of the court.

“Judge Luis Roberto Barroso of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) has suspended Ordinance 620/2021 of the Department of Labor and Social Security, which prohibits companies from requiring proof of vaccination when hiring or retaining an employee,” the press service of the court reports. Thus, the court explained, employers have the right to demand proof of vaccination from employees.

The presence of unvaccinated personnel in the workplace “may threaten the HEALTH of other workers” and carries risks for the safety and health of the public, the judge explained his decision. The judge considered that attempts to draw parallels with discrimination based on race, sex and other grounds are groundless. Thus, the innovation will not affect only those who have medical contraindications to vaccination, Barroso specified. They will be periodically tested for the presence of coronavirus.

At the same time, the judge concluded, the dismissal of an employee should occur only in extreme cases.