The “day of vaccination” will still have to convince the rulers, the big employers, not before | Deal

Representatives of the Lithuanian Green and Peasant Union, who are proposing amendments, said that the “vaccination day” would belong to all those vaccinated, regardless of the vaccine they received and whether there were any side effects.

One of the initiators of the project, MP Tom Tomilin, says it would be both a motivational tool and a thank you to everyone who agrees to get vaccinated.

“Giving a day off is a proven practice of encouraging the public to perform certain medical procedures, such as donating blood, we believe it would have a positive effect on motivating people to get vaccinated, reduce anxiety about the need to go to work. when he feels bad, “the Seimas member said in a press release.

Under the current procedure, a person who feels unwell after vaccination can consult a general family doctor and be unable to work due to fever or other symptoms, but according to the authors of the project, start mass vaccination in one procedure of this type represents a great burden for family doctors and bureaucracy.

“Even a small reaction to the vaccine can significantly reduce a person’s work capacity: headaches, chills, weakness may not be very dangerous, but they are really unpleasant, we want to give the person the opportunity to take care of themselves. herself with more care without additional workload, “said Tomilinas.

The first two days of incapacity for work are paid for by the employer, so a day off may be an even more optimal option.

According to project co-author Linas Kukuraitis, a member of Seimas, employers are not expected to oppose such changes.

“The first two days of sick leave are still paid for by the employer, so a day off may be an even more optimal option,” said L. Kukuraitis.

According to him, employers are also interested in getting as many team members vaccinated as possible and getting immunity.

It is proposed that this post-vaccination day be granted only when the country is in quarantine or pandemic conditions.

This would ensure that workers do not have a day off after other optional vaccinations, such as influenza or tick-borne encephalitis.

Good idea, but I don’t think it’s the best.

Opinions are contradictory

Such an idea seems to have supporters in the Seimas, but its transformation will actually depend largely on the efforts of the initiators to persuade the ruling politicians.

“Good idea, but I don’t think it’s the best.” 15 minutes said Eugene Gentvil, spokesman for the Liberal Movement.

According to him, the automatic granting of a “vaccination day” can encourage abuse, as some people experience virtually no side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to the politician, today it is possible to get two days of disability paid by the employer without a direct visit to the family doctor, one call is enough.

“We, the members of the Seimas, do not directly create the Gross Domestic Product, but someone in Lithuania digs gravel and builds houses. We also have to think about the economy, and in this case it would be another day off, sometimes for no reason,” he said. E. Gentvilas.

The day after the vaccination, he would not have been able to work remotely, and perhaps he would not even call the family doctor.

Andrius Mazuronis, the “worker” of the Seimas, would support the proposal of his fellow “peasants”.

“As I have been vaccinated with AstraZeneca, I know how it would feel, so I would support that day. The day after vaccination, I would not have been able to remotely work, not even call a family doctor.” 15 minutes said the politician.

“I think we can discuss it and see what will be at Seimas,” he added.

Conservative Paulė Kuzmickienė declared that he supports all proposals that would help vaccinate society more quickly.

However, he argued that before adopting such amendments, politicians should answer a series of questions about what is most important at this stage to vaccinate people.

“We all say that it is now important to vaccinate the age group most at risk, that is, people 65 years and older. They are mostly not working people, so a “vaccination day” would not be relevant for them “, 15 minutes said the parliamentarian.

He also considered that people should be more encouraged to get vaccinated and that the public should be better informed about the vaccination campaign and that the registration system should function more smoothly. In addition, P. Kuzmickienė stressed, some people do not experience side effects.

However, P. Kuzmickienė would not be against the debate on the “vaccination day” being transferred to the Seimas committees.

“It seems to me that at the presentation stage we can really support the proposal and seek answers to these questions in the committees,” said the politician.

Employers are not against

Unions say “vaccination days” would help boost people’s confidence in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Larger employers also say they would see no problem giving vaccinated people a day off.

Everything is fine, I don’t see any problem, I fully support this kind of thing.

“If post-COVID-19 holidays are legalized, we will implement this requirement for the employer,” 15 minutes said Ernesta Dapkienė, director of Maxima’s Image and Communication Department.

This retail chain will also deliver € 10 Eurovaistinva checks to vaccinated workers.

Sigitas Žvirblis, general manager of Intersurgical, a manufacturer of medical devices, would not have been vaccinated before the day off.

“Everything is in order, I don’t see any problem, I support this kind of thing one hundred percent, but I think that people are not afraid of vaccines because of a lack of motivation, but because of how the media shed light on the management of the pandemic. . ” 15 minutes S.Žvirblis said.

Audrius Stasiulaitis, representative of the telecommunications giant Telia 15 minutes He said the company could still implement the idea of ​​a “vaccination day” in principle today, because according to the collective agreement, company employees can have two days off without taking an inability to work if they get sick or feel unwell.

Inga Ruginienė, President of the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation 15 minutes He said he supports the proposal to introduce a “vaccination day”, but emphasized that this should not be seen as an additional benefit for the employee, but as a necessity.

“If an employee feels bad, they are given time off. This should be the employer’s logical approach to the situation. ” 15 minutes said I.Ruginienė.

If a person who is undecided about vaccination trusts their employer, trusts the process, and does not feel coercion or tension, the likelihood of being vaccinated increases.

“It is better to protect an employee now than to allow him to be unable to work four or five days later,” he added.

The union representative argued that the “vaccination day” would give employees more confidence in the employer and therefore in the vaccination process itself.

“If a person who is undecided about vaccination trusts his employer, trusts the process, does not feel coercion and tension, it will increase the probability that he will be vaccinated,” said I. Ruginienė.

Meanwhile, Dan Arlauskas, president of the Lithuanian Employers’ Confederation at the time, said that “vaccination day” could provide some incentive for vaccination, but criticized “the will of politicians to regulate everything.”

“Let employers decide what an employee needs, whether to add a day off or a day off,” a company spokesperson told ELTA.