Massachusetts Department of Transportation Reportedly Asked Unvaccinated Workers Who Were Fired to Come Back The department's policy is still that unvaccinated employees should keep masks on and would have to prove a "sincerely held religious belief" or other reason for the exemption.
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On Monday, Boston-based investigative reporter Cheryl Fiandaca Tweeted a picture of a letter that appeared to be from Massachusetts' Department of Transportation — offering jobs back to people who had, seemingly, previously been let go for not being vaccinated.
#Sources #MA #DOT offers workers their jobs back after they were fired for refusing to get #Covid19 #vaccine #WBZ pic.twitter.com/HEuAZZJALx
— Cheryl Fiandaca (@CherylFiandaca) October 24, 2022
"MassDOT is offering you reinstatement to your former position," considering Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance and that most people who work for the state and in the state are vaccinated, the letter said.
MassLive also reported on the letters on Tuesday.
Fiandaca is chief investigative reporter at CBS Boston, per her LinkedIn. The letter is dated October 18 and is listed as from Matthew Knosp, chief human resources officer. (There is a LinkedIn profile for a person with the same name and title.)
The Massachusetts governor, Charlie Baker, implemented a vaccine mandate in August 2021, with medical or religious exemptions. But enforcement of the policy proved complicated. While 94% of workers met the vaccination requirement or obtained exemptions, hundreds were fired, suspended, or quit. Additionally, 2,138 people were in "limbo," and were possibly still on the chopping block, WBUR reported last year.
"Many are waiting for rulings on their requests for exemptions," the outlet wrote. "Some are in a three-day grace period to get vaccinated after their waiver requests were denied. Others have taken unpaid leaves of absence or their compliance is under review."
MassDOT was not alone in working to implement vaccine mandates in 2021. In November of last year, President Biden's administration issued a requirement for large employers to have employees vaccinated. The Supreme Court blocked part of the rule. The whole issue is still in legal limbo, per Bloomberg Law.
Still, MassDOT's policy hasn't changed all that much. The letter says the reinstatement would still require the person to obtain an exception per Executive Order 595 - which has options for exemptions for a "medical disability" or "sincerely held religious belief."
It appears these unvaccinated workers would also be required to wear a mask in the workplace.
The letter comes at a tight time for the labor market.
Metrics like a low unemployment rate, lots of vacancies per worker applying for a job, and high quits all tell a story of a hot labor market – but it could be exaggerating how much power employees truly have, as The Washington Post reports.
Related: Employers Are Posting 'Ghost Jobs' But Not Really Hiring -- And Annoying Job Seekers Along the Way
MassDOT did not respond to requests for comment.
