My significant other is a federal employee, and it was recently announced that all federal employees will be told to take the jab by executive order. My instinct tells me that this is a gross violation of constitutional rights, but I don't know what the best way to argue against it would be if it goes through. Do you guys have any advice other than refuse for as long as possible? I'm wracking my brain, but I really don't know what to do.
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I think this will get very dicey very quickly. EOs aren't intended to have this kind of broad-reaching authority, and there's plenty of established international and US law that prohibits forced participation in experimental medical procedures and vaccines (all that will change once the FDA grants full approval later this year, I expect).
If it is enforced, from what I've seen there's going to be an out-clause whereby your SO could get tested for COVID weekly. We'll have to see what the actual order says, but if that information is correct then you at least have a short-term shitty, tedious, and infuriating new hoop to jump through to avoid getting vaxxed. That at least buys you time to make alternate plans.
There are also religious exemptions your SO could appeal toward. I'm not very familiar with that territory but I know it exists. Robert Barnes has got a lot of litigation he's preparing to challenge vaccine mandates, and I know he's outlaid options for people like your spouse on the Viva Barnes Locals (I'd go look it up but I'm no longer a paid member. That advice might even be available to unpaid members, FWIW).
I also doubt it would go into immediate effect, meaning your SO should have some time to get vaxxed or get out. I suppose we'll find out on Thursday.
Bottom line is, I believe your SO will have some short-term stalling options while planning to get out of federal employment ASAP. I have heard from friends at large companies like Wells Fargo that they are moving in similar directions, so it's probably best to move toward smaller companies that don't have HR departments.
There's another question altogether of just how far an employer can go to verify that you are vaccinated in the first place. Prying too deeply runs afoul of the ADA, and a simple "yes I am vaccinated" might be enough to save your job. That appears to have satisfied federal employers so far, anyway. There are templates for vaccine certificates, along with instructions to what card stock to print them out on, if you really feel up against the wall and need to forge your way out. I don't know how much this is maintained on a federal database.