Job boards for workplaces that specifically don't require COVID-19 vaccinations are popping up

[Stone]

Job boards for workplaces that specifically don't require COVID-19 vaccinations are popping up as more employers have started requiring the shot

Business Insider | August 27, 2021


Job boards for sharing open roles at companies that do not require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 have been popping up online as vaccine mandates are becoming more common.

One board is hosted on Gab, the social media platform that has been embraced by some conservatives and members of the far-right. In an email sent to users on Wednesday, Gab CEO Andrew Torba announced the "No Vax Mandate Job Board."

"This job board is for sharing job openings that do not require employees to inject themselves with an experimental substance or violate their bodily autonomy and religious beliefs in order to retain employment," he wrote, adding that job seekers are welcome to post their resumes in the group.

The group, which had nearly 30,000 members after just two days, was filled with messages from people looking for work that won't require them to be vaccinated.

"Blue state SR Talent Acquisition (Corp recruiter) in large Healthcare company. Have worked remote for several years but mandatory jab required. I won't comply," one post said. "I'm professional and have always received excellent reviews. Anyone need a great recruiter?"

Torba said Gab created the group in light of President Joe Biden urging businesses to implement vaccine mandates after Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine received full approval from the Food and Drug Administration on Monday.

"I'm calling on more companies in the private sector to step up with vaccine requirements that will reach millions more people," Biden said during remarks at the White House.

Some businesses have done so, with more and more announcing plans to mandate vaccines for employees. Chevron, CVS Health, and Disney World all announced COVID-19 vaccine mandates after the FDA approval.

Some local governments have also instituted mandates for employees, including Chicago and Los Angeles, while more may follow. The mandates typically allow for health and religious exemptions.

Another site marketing itself to job seekers who are looking to avoid vaccine mandates, NoVaxMandate.org, says it believes "no right is more sacred than the right of every individual to the control of their own person, free from all restraint or interference of others."

The openings listed on the site range from a Pizza Hut delivery driver in Texas to a Hairstylist at a "patriot run small business" in Arizona. There are multiple openings for nurses at rural nursing homes in Wisconsin and Minnesota, with listings that read: "No Jab required. We are awake and serve God."

Other listings included openings in healthcare settings in Texas, New York, and Michigan.

A third site, RedBalloon, touts itself as "the nation's first and only free speech job site." It said it would be "taking a stand against forced vaccinations," announcing in a blog post it would be "ramping up" its operations to connect employers who are looking for employees "regardless of their vaccination status."

Public health officials continue to encourage Americans to get vaccinated as the US confronts a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the more transmissible Delta variant. A CDC study released Tuesday found unvaccinated people were 29 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than those who were vaccinated.

As of Thursday, 51.9% of Americans were fully vaccinated, while 61.1% had received at least one dose, according to the CDC. Officials have expressed hope that the full FDA approval granted this week would result in more people getting the shot.