Vegans could escape 'no jab, no job' rules over concerns jab is not safe for them

30 July 2021, 12:59 | Updated: 30 July 2021, 13:23

Vegans could escape potential "no jab, no job" rules over concerns that the vaccine is not safe for them, experts have suggested.

More than half a million vegans across the UK could be exempt because of their beliefs, as the vaccines currently go through animal testing.

Previously, ethical veganism has been ruled as a "protected characteristic", meaning employers could face legal action if they try to enforce the "no jab, no job" rule.

Other groups could also be excused on the same grounds, including religious groups and those with certain medical conditions.

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A spokesman for law firm Lewis Silkin told The Telegraph: "Some ethical vegans may disagree with vaccinations on the basis that they will inevitably have been tested on animals.

"Ethical veganism has previously been found by an [employment tribunal] to amount to a belief, capable of being protected."

That said, the Vegan Society has urged people to take up the vaccine.

It comes as big tech companies in the US, including Google and Facebook, have told staff they need to be fully vaccinated to return to the office.

Netflix also confirmed that actors on set for US productions must have received both jabs, with their corporate offices not set to reopen until 'a majority of people' are vaccinated.

As for the UK, the only jobs that currently legally require employees to be fully vaccinated are those in care homes.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told LBC on Friday that it "will be for individual employers to decide".

Vaccine passports are also set to be introduced for some crowded places, making full vaccination a requirement to enter venues such as nightclubs.