Insurer faces worker lawsuit over COVID vaccine mandate

A bunch of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) staff who say they had been terminated as a consequence of a Title VII violation over non secular freedom as a consequence 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 obtained their proper to sue letters, in response to a press launch.

Between October and November 2021, BCBST let go 41 of its workers after the corporate carried out a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for 900 customer-facing roles, in response to allegations made within the press launch. Many of those 900 staff had been full time telecommuters and had been working from dwelling through the pandemic, a spokesperson for the group has alleged.

In October, 19 staff had been fired adopted by an extra 22 a month later, simply weeks earlier than a Tennessee legislation was handed that prevented BCBST from imposing the mandate, it was alleged. Many submitted requests for non secular exemption and affordable lodging together with a telecommuting choice (which was at present in place and was persevering with for all the 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 non secular exemption had been in the end denied, in response to the allegations.

They had been in the end let with none severance pay, misplaced years of accrued advantages whereas struggling humiliation and emotional misery, it was alleged.

“It has been very arduous 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,” stated Anne F., one of many 41 staff who filed the lawsuit.

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

BCBST was not instantly obtainable for remark.