Insurer faces worker lawsuit over COVID vaccine mandate

A bunch of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) staff who say they have been terminated as a result of a Title VII violation over spiritual freedom as a result of a COVID-19 vaccine mandate have filed a category motion lawsuit in federal court docket in opposition to the corporate.

After an investigation course of by the U.S. Equal Employment Alternative Fee (EEOC), the previous staff have acquired their proper to sue letters, in keeping with a press launch.

Between October and November 2021, BCBST let go 41 of its employees after the corporate applied a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for 900 customer-facing roles, in keeping with allegations made within the press launch. Many of those 900 staff have been full time telecommuters and had been working from house throughout the pandemic, a spokesperson for the group has alleged.

In October, 19 staff have been fired adopted by a further 22 a month later, simply weeks earlier than a Tennessee regulation was handed that prevented BCBST from implementing the mandate, it was alleged. Many submitted requests for spiritual exemption and cheap lodging together with a telecommuting choice (which was presently in place and was persevering with for your entire 12 months) or common testing, it has been claimed.

In response, BCBST gave these people 30 days to get the vaccine, discover a new job or be fired — requests for spiritual exemption have been finally denied, in keeping with the allegations.

They have been finally let with none severance pay, misplaced years of accrued advantages whereas struggling humiliation and emotional misery, it was alleged.

“It has been very laborious each emotionally and financially. I beloved my place, deliberate on retiring from BCBST and to be discriminated in opposition to, my exemption request not accepted, and fired for this has been devastating,” mentioned Anne F., one of many 41 staff who filed the lawsuit.

“To be solid apart and handled as lower than was, merely put, a slap within the face,” mentioned Kerrie I, one other worker from the group.

BCBST was not instantly accessible for remark.