Health pass: soon mandatory in business?

Since the Minister of Health Olivier Véran issued the idea on December 18, it has raised strong reactions. The government is currently considering whether or not to introduce the compulsory health pass in companies.

Health pass in business: “encourage vaccination”

Show a negative test or proof of vaccination to go to work? According to Gabriel Attal, interviewed on December 21 by France 2, “the objective is to encourage vaccination as much as possible because we can still see that it is our best tool in the face of the progression of the epidemic”. The government spokesman added that discussions on the subject would take place “today, with local elected officials, with parliamentary groups”, And that a decision will be made“after putting it or not in the text of the law”Providing for the transformation of the health pass into a vaccination pass.

On the side of the unions, the possible implementation of the compulsory health pass to go to work is not well received. “We are opposed to it because it corresponds to a vaccination obligation“, explained the secretary general of the CGT Philippe Martinez to Franceinfo December 20. “We prefer – and this is what we are going to tell the Minister this morning – to strengthen barrier gestures, to encourage more vaccination, rather than the introduction of this vaccination pass.”

Health pass in business: unions against

Consultations have in fact already taken place yesterday between the Minister of Labor Elisabeth Borne and the social partners. If there has been “a form of consensus around the need for teleworking”, There is“on the other hand not really (had) of consensus around a sanitary pass in company”, Reported Gabriel Attal.

In addition, questions arise as to the practical application of such a measure. “We know very well that it will be complicated for a certain number of employees, estimates Dominique Carlac’h, vice-president and spokesperson for MEDEF interviewed by Franceinfo. Par example a truck driver: by nature, he is itinerant, so how can he be controlled? It’s the same for a salesperson, also itinerant. We cannot engage the responsibility of the entrepreneur on this, because it is too complicated. If we ask the employee who is not vaccinated to stay at home, I am not sure that this encourages vaccination.”

Company health pass: already adopted in some countries

In some countries, however, the health pass is already compulsory in companies. This is particularly the case in Italy, where employees must present proof of vaccination, a negative test of less than 48 hours or proof of recovery from Covid-19 since October 15, 2021. “We are extending the ‘green pass’ obligation to the world of work as a whole, public and private, and we do so for two main reasons: to make these places safer and to make our vaccination campaign even stronger.“, said the Italian Minister of Health. Employees who do not respect this obligation are suspended with deduction from wages and face a fine, like employers.

In Germany, the principle is similar. Since the end of November 2021, the “vaccinated, tested or cured” rule has been applied in order to be able to come and work in companies. Employees who refuse to do so also risk suspension, and employers face financial penalties.

In the United States, big companies like Google have implemented the compulsory vaccination pass since the summer of 2021. “Anyone coming to work on our campuses must be vaccinated. We are rolling out this policy in the United States in the coming weeks and will extend it to other regions in the coming months.“, wrote on July 28, 2021 Sundar Pichai, general manager of Google.