Workers Fired Under Vaxx Mandate Should Get Unemployment: Senator

SAYVILLE, NY — Healthcare workers who were fired for choosing not to receive the coronavirus vaccine should receive unemployment benefits, New York State Sen. Alexis Weik said Thursday.

Weik, who represents NY Senate District 3, introduced new legislation on Thursday that would permit employees fired under the state's vaccine mandate to be eligible for unemployment insurance.

“The decision to get vaccinated should be an individual’s choice. No employee should have to choose between making a personal healthcare decision and their careers," said Weik. "A choice between the two is no choice at all.”

Under New York's mandate, which went into effect this week, healthcare workers must be vaccinated or face termination. Employees fired under the mandate are not eligible for unemployment insurance.

“The individuals that are losing their jobs are the same ones who have bravely risked their lives to protect us throughout the pandemic," said Weik. "Over the past year a half we have rightly provided unemployment benefits to any individual that suffered a hardship or lost their job due to the pandemic — we must extend the same benefits to these heroes.”

To read more about the proposed legislation, click here.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said, of the mandate: "My priority is to stop this virus dead in its tracks," she said. "The only way to do this is to ensure everyone is vaccinated but particularly people taking care of the sick."

The healthcare worker vaccination mandate was issued by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in August.

Hochul has also signed an executive order giving her the emergency powers necessary to address the shortages, where they occur, and allowing her to deploy the National Guard who are medically trained. The order will also allow her to deploy people, who've either been retired or who may have had a licensed lapse, and finally, to bring in workers from elsewhere to help.

"This is about self-defense," Hochul said. "I'm here to defend the people of New York."