Even after the pandemic has more or less ended, plenty of people still strongly oppose just the concept of getting vaccinated. Some hate the idea so much that they will cause drama, severing relationships or making enemies with their stance. One tech employer in LA, California, was so fixed in their views that they fired a new worker after discovering he and his family had received the COVID vaccine. For the unfortunate terminated employee, this wasn’t just losing a position: this was his dream job down the drain.
According to his Reddit post on r/legaladvice, the LA man had been working in his software position for only a month but had already been receiving positive feedback from his manager. After getting closer to management, the worker was invited to go out for a drink with the owner of the company; this is where things took a turn.
“The entire time he talked conspiracy theories. I tried to generally be agreeable for fear of losing my job,” the poster explained. “COVID vaccines came up and he shouted all the usual: microchips, bill gates, etc. He was appalled to learn that my family and I were vaccinated and even planned to get the boosters.”
The LA Tech Worker Discovered He Was Fired Over the COVID Vaccine
It wasn’t until only a week later that the worker was fired for “cultural reasons.” But a disgruntled HR employee reached out to the terminated employee, sharing screenshots of private messages discussing the real reason he was fired: “my views on the COVID vaccination and my vaccination status.” Now that he’s discovered the truth behind this injustice, the man wonders whether he should pursue legal action against his former employer.
“Sounds like a lawsuit. You have medical reasons for getting it,” remarks a commenter on the Reddit post. “You need an attorney,” agrees another. “Almost nobody here is going to be qualified to comment on California employment law, and this sounds like it could be something.” Dozens of others collectively suggested that the worker get a lawyer involved.
In the end, “being a weirdo and believing in conspiracy theories is not illegal,” as one commenter points out, as is firing someone over those reasons. “Crazy, yes. But not illegal.” Still, hopefully, some justice is to be had with this employer, as no one deserves to be punished for trying to keep themselves and their family healthy.
