Compulsory Covid-19 Vaccine Problem at Workplaces and The Rights of The Parties During Pandemic

Pandemi Döneminde İşyerinde Covid-19 Aşı Zorunluluğu Sorunu ve Tarafların Hakları

Abstract

The workplace is a social environment. Coughing and sneezing, as much as breathing and talking, are human nature. The workers, who work together, stay side by side, eat and smoke in the same environment, and do many similar things together in the workplace environment, are at serious risk of transmission. The fact that the disease is fatal, its incubation period is long, and there are people having the disease without symptoms and spreading the virus without realizing that they are sick, threatens family members as well as the workers themselves. From the employer’s perspective, this threat, in addition to the effects that it may have on the employer’s own health, is that if the employees get sick, even if they are healthy, they are quarantined because they come into contact with another employee who is sick, thus there will be a loss of labour and, naturally, production will decrease or even stop. One of employer’s debts, which arise from the employment contract, is to look after the employees. Also, employees can always request that occupational health and safety measures be taken and that they work in a healthy and safe environment from the employer who is under obligation to provide it. What science, technique, and experience indicate under today’s conditions is important in the measures that the employer will take. Today, science, technique, and experience, as we tried to explain above, indicate vaccination. Based on the characteristics of the workplace and the work that the employee is doing, in addition to the parties’ rights to terminate the contract, the workers may also use their right to refrain from working due to non-compliance with occupational safety measures. The said right of termination may be exercised as a last resort by the employer if remote working and other similar measures to eliminate the risk of transmission are not possible.eat and smoke in the same environment, and do many similar things together in the workplace environment, are at serious risk of transmission. The fact that the disease is fatal, its incubation period is long, and there are people having the disease without symptoms and spreading the virus without realizing that they are sick, threatens family members as well as the workers themselves. From the employer’s perspective, this threat, in addition to the effects that it may have on the employer’s own health, is that if the employees get sick, even if they are healthy, they are quarantined because they come into contact with another employee who is sick, thus there will be a loss of labour and, naturally, production will decrease or even stop. One of employer’s debts, which arise from the employment contract, is to look after the employees. Also, employees can always request that occupational health and safety measures be taken and that they work in a healthy and safe environment from the employer who is under obligation to provide it. What science, technique, and experience indicate under today’s conditions is important in the measures that the employer will take. Today, science, technique, and experience, as we tried to explain above, indicate vaccination. Based on the characteristics of the workplace and the work that the employee is doing, in addition to the parties’ rights to terminate the contract, the workers may also use their right to refrain from working due to non-compliance with occupational safety measures. The said right of termination may be exercised as a last resort by the employer if remote working and other similar measures to eliminate the risk of transmission are not possible.

Özet

İşyeri, sosyal bir ortamdır. İşçilerin nefes alıp vermeleri ve konuşmaları kadar, öksürmeleri ve hapşırmaları da insan doğası gereği, son derece olağandır. Birlikte çalışan, yan yana bulunan, aynı ortamda yemek yiyen, sigara içen ve işyeri ortamında benzeri birçok şeyi bir arada yapan işçiler, ciddi bir bulaş riski altındadırlar. Hastalığın ölümcül olması, kuluçka süresinin uzun olması ve hastalığın semptomsuz geçirilerek, hasta olduğunun farkına varmadan virüsü yayan insanların varlığı, işçilerin kendisi kadar aile bireylerini de tehdit eder. İşveren açısından ise bu tehdit, işverenin kendi sağlığı üzerinde yaratabileceği etkilerin yanı sıra, işçilerin hastalanması, kendisi hastalanmasa dahi hasta olan diğer bir işçi ile temas ettiği için sağlıklı olsa bile karantinaya alınması, bu sebeple yaşanacak işgücü kaybı ve bunun doğal sonucu olarak da üretimin azalması ve hatta durmasıdır. İşverenin, iş sözleşmesinden doğan borçlarından bir tanesi de işverenin işçiyi gözetme borcudur. İşçiler de iş sağlığı ve güvenliği önlemlerinin alınmasını, sağlıklı ve güvenli bir ortamda çalışmayı, bunu sağlama yükümlülüğü altında bulunan işverenden her zaman talep edebilirler. İşverenin alacağı önlemlerde, günün koşullarında bilim, teknik ve tecrübenin neleri işaret ettiği önemlidir. Bugün, bilim, teknik ve tecrübe, yukarıda açıklamaya çalıştığımız gibi, aşıyı işaret etmektedir. İşyerinin ve işçinin yapmakta olduğu işin özelliklerine göre, tarafların sözleşmeyi fesih haklarının yanı sıra, işçilerin alınmamış iş güvenliği önlemleri dolayısıyla çalışmaktan kaçınma hakları da kullanılabilecektir. Anılan fesih hakkı, son çare olarak, uzaktan çalışma ve benzeri bulaş riskini ortadan kaldıracak diğer önlemlerin mümkün olmaması halinde işverence son çare olarak uygulanabilir.