Deliveries to companies Farms are waiting for more vaccine

Status: 14.06.2021 12:44 p.m.

Company doctors have been able to vaccinate their employees for a week. But the amount of vaccine allocated is nowhere near sufficient. In the second week, fewer vaccine doses are delivered than in the first. From Jens Eberl, WDR BMW has big plans. The automobile manufacturer has set up a total of 29 vaccination lines at its locations in Germany. In Munich alone there are six vaccination lines at two locations. The company said it could do up to 2,500 vaccinations a day. This means that the entire workforce in Germany can be vaccinated within a few weeks. The problem: there isn’t enough vaccine. A little more than 5000 employees were vaccinated in the first week. The situation is similar with the consumer goods manufacturer Henkel. A vaccination center was set up in a company building in the immediate vicinity of the factory premises in Düsseldorf. Up to 1500 employees per week can be vaccinated. In the first week, however, there were only 640.

Fewer vaccine doses in the second week

“Many companies have prepared themselves really well,” says Wolfgang Panter, President of the Association of German Company and Company Doctors (VDBW). “6300 company doctors are available nationwide and have ordered vaccines.” But it is only arriving slowly. The distribution is based on the number of company doctors in the company. Last week there were 102 doses per doctor. This week it should be 84. “Originally, 804 cans per head were planned, but it was clear that this would never be the case,” said Panter. The company doctors are now relying heavily on July. Here one reckons that the vaccination turbo will be switched on. Be prepared.

FAQ 06/08/2021

High demand from the staff

At Thyssenkrupp, vaccinations are carried out every five minutes at the Essen site, on four vaccination lines, with seven doctors from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Should more vaccine be delivered, vaccinations can also be carried out in the evening and on weekends and a 5th vaccination line can also be used. 50,000 people work at Currenta, which manages and operates one of the largest chemical sites. They had ordered 20,000 doses here; if these had arrived, the vaccination would be finished in two to three weeks. But only 3000 came. According to the company, the vaccination lines of Deutsche Telekom have a capacity of up to 10,000 vaccinations per week. Telekom has 89,000 employees in Germany. Due to the approval of priority group 3 by the federal states, vaccinations had already been carried out in the company. The company expects up to 30,000 employees to take advantage of the opportunity to be vaccinated by company doctors. Telekom has set up 18 vaccination lines nationwide for this purpose.

06/02/2021

IT facilitates rapid processes

Many companies have also adapted their IT to vaccinate. For example, BASF has developed its own online booking system together with an IT service provider. Employees can use this to register. The navigation along the entire Impfstraße is completely digitized from check-in to check-out. The vaccination center went into operation on April 14th. Up to and including Friday, around 16,000 BASF employees had received an initial vaccination. Initially, the vaccination sequence prescribed by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate was followed and priority groups II and III were vaccinated. Since June 7, all BASF employees at the Ludwigshafen site have been able to register for a vaccination appointment. At the Vonovia real estate group, a random generator determines who receives a vaccination offer for which location based on the activity performed. First, the random number generator selects employees with direct customer contact.

Prioritization canceled in many places

In the meantime, many companies have completely removed the prioritization. The Deutsche Post says that there is no longer any personal prioritization in the sequence of vaccinations. “Through the choice of location and the allocation of appointments, we ensure that employees in the operational area have at least equal access to operational vaccination appointments,” says the company. At RWE, employees have been able to make appointments using an online tool or by telephone since last Monday. RWE does not plan to prioritize vaccinations. The President of the Association of German Company and Company Doctors has established that every company has a different approach to prioritization. From his point of view, employees who are exposed to a higher risk should still be given preference, for example field staff or fitters; People who have a lot of contacts. Of course, you can’t dictate that, says Panter.

Corona protection in companies Are employers allowed to force vaccination?

Status: 08.06.2021 7:13 p.m.

Since the beginning of the week, company doctors have also been able to vaccinate against Covid-19. But what about legally? Can companies require their staff to be vaccinated? And are they allowed to grant privileges to those who have been vaccinated? From Jens Eberl, WDR The companies have a great interest in preventing infections with the coronavirus and sick leave. This is why many employers want their employees to be vaccinated. With the start of vaccinations by the company doctors, various legal issues between employers and employees come to the fore. An overview.

Can the employer oblige his staff to vaccinate?

Employees only need to be vaccinated if there is a legal obligation to do so. There is no statutory vaccination requirement with Covid-19. “However, special features apply in facilities such as hospitals, prevention or rehabilitation facilities and medical practices,” says the Brühl-based specialist lawyer for labor law, Michael Felser. “They must ensure that all measures required by the state of the art of medical science are taken there to prevent infections and the spread of pathogens. Curiously, however, this does not apply in care facilities for the elderly, although the problem here is likely to be comparable”, so Felser. In the health care facilities mentioned, the employer cannot force employees to vaccinate either. However, he must ensure that non-vaccinated people pose no risk to patients. Patient protection can therefore make it necessary that non-vaccinated people can no longer work in certain areas.

Do employees have to inform the employer about their vaccination status?

Actually, there is no obligation to provide information about the personal vaccination status to the employer. However, the Gelsenkirchen labor lawyer Arndt Kempgens emphasizes that companies have to take corona protective measures for their employees. But they could only do that if the corona vaccination status was known. Kempgens concludes from this that in connection with Corona, under labor law – as an exception – there could be an obligation on the part of employees to notify the vaccination status and, under certain circumstances, to prove it.

Are vaccination incentives such as bonus payments from the employer permitted?

Employers could pay a “vaccination bonus”, for example through a one-off sum of money, vouchers or extra vacation days. Lawyer Felser says: “This is not entirely uncritical, because rewards can exert undue pressure not to exercise one’s rights. For example, courts have only declared rewards for employees who rarely get sick to be admissible under strict conditions.” The trade unions consider incentives for those willing to vaccinate to be permissible. However, they have a say in any case, as such a bonus is subject to co-determination. Kempgens emphasizes, however, that it must be fair: “There must not only be a bonus for those who don’t like vaccinations as an incentive to vaccinate, but if so, then for everyone.”

Can the employer exert “vaccination pressure”? Can the staff defend themselves against this?

If there is no statutory vaccination requirement, the employer cannot exert any pressure, neither with instructions nor with threats such as transfer or even warnings and dismissal. Such measures would be illegal. However, attorney Kempgens reports: “We are currently hearing more and more of such cases in legal practice. Pressure is exerted to convince those unwilling to vaccinate.” In extreme cases, employees can even defend themselves against this with an action for an injunction before the labor courts.

Are professional disadvantages possible if you don’t get vaccinated?

If there is no compulsory vaccination, the employer cannot differentiate according to whether someone is vaccinated or not or whether they have not wanted to be vaccinated in the past, as long as there was no obligation to do so. In medical institutions, however, the employer can reject applicants if they are not vaccinated and do not want to be vaccinated. Lawyer Kempgens, however, restricts: “Unvaccinated employees require other protective measures in the company and also lead to disagreements among the employees. For this reason, non-vaccinated employees will certainly not be preferred in the company in the near future.”

Are employers allowed to distinguish between vaccinated and non-vaccinated people?

“In my opinion, they even have to,” says Kempgens. “As with official measures, labor law restrictions are more difficult to justify for vaccinated people, while labor law protective measures have to be stronger for non-vaccinated people.” Felser believes privileges are conceivable, such as the earlier return of vaccinated employees from the home office to the office or the use of communal facilities such as the canteen. However, the incentive or pressure from such preferences should not be disproportionate.

From Ingrid Bertram, WDR At the toilet paper manufacturer Hakle in Düsseldorf, the machines run in three shifts. 250 employees work here. With the corona crisis, no employee can be dispensed with anymore. And at the latest when one of his engineers was in the intensive care unit, Managing Director Volker Jung knew that no other of his employees should experience that. He has been trying to get the vaccine since January, but so far in vain. The tents for the vaccinations are ready, extra rooms are reserved and the company doctor has recruited doctors who are actually retired for the vaccinations. Basically, it could start – but patience is required instead. Will it all pay off? Probably not on paper: the company has already spent 300,000 euros on the PCR tests. The vaccination route will cost a lot less. But Volker Jung believes that two thirds of his workforce are willing to vaccinate. At least he wants to offer them something. He doesn’t want to lose anyone.

Persuasion by company doctors

Ralf Stoffels also has to be patient. He heads the BIW Isolierstoffe company. He would like to organize the vaccination through the company medical center. Not only his 550 employees, but even the entire Hagen-Ennepe-Ruhr industrial park could be supplied via this. But here, too, the vaccine is missing. Ralf Stoffels, who is also President of the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is convinced that companies can better reach many people with vaccinations. “Many of the employees do not even accept the voluntary offers,” says Stoffels. He’s already observing this in the voluntary tests. In other words, everything that costs time and does not fit into everyday work becomes a hurdle. “In the company it would be organizationally easier for many, and the company doctor could still do some persuasion.” Because most of Stoffel’s employees work in shifts, come from Eastern Europe or are refugees and trained in the company. Knowledge of the how and why of vaccination is often rudimentary.

Previous illnesses mostly unknown

But even if there are some arguments in favor of immunization at the company doctor – even Anette Wahl-Wachendorf from the Association of German Company and Company Doctors does not know when the first vaccinations will arrive in the company. “Many companies are in the starting blocks,” says the organization’s vice president. But there is actually still a lot to be clarified: For example, it must be ensured in the companies that they are regularly supplied by large pharmacies, as the mRNA vaccines can only be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. In addition, it has not yet been clarified who is liable in the event of vaccination reactions or side effects. “For that there should now be a basic state liability,” said Wahl-Wachendorf. And ultimately it must also be clear that the prioritization in the company no longer applies automatically, because after all, a company doctor can vaccinate according to age, but cannot take previous illnesses into account, as he usually does not know them. The company doctor believes that it would be better to first consider those who have the most customer contacts. But above all, none of this should entail any further bureaucratic effort. Because now it is a matter of vaccinating as many people as possible.

250 front-line medical staff of Can Tho Central General Hospital were vaccinated against Covid-19 in phase 1 At the injection site, in order to ensure the safety of vaccination, the hospital has arranged all parts and facilities from pre-injection screening, injection area, post-injection monitoring room and first aid facilities. necessary. The hospital is fully equipped with one-way facilities, ensuring 5K, emergency manpower by a team of doctors and nurses, Department of Active Rehabilitation – Anti-poison regularly during the vaccination. ensure emergency management for cases with post-injection reactions during vaccination. Health workers (HCWs) are instructed to complete information disclosure procedures to help ensure safety in pre-vaccination screening. The stage of vaccination is done by staff specializing in vaccination practice. The immunization officer also gives detailed instructions about abnormalities that need to return or immediately go to the nearest medical facility for treatment. Health-care workers are monitored in the follow-up room 30 minutes after vaccination, to promptly handle immediate reactions occurring after vaccination. If there are no abnormal symptoms, the health worker will be issued a certificate of vaccination against Covid-19 and continue to monitor the health for updates according to regulations of the Ministry of Health. 100 frontline health workers in Bac Lieu were also vaccinated against Covid-19 in phase 1 In Bac Lieu, Bac Lieu General Hospital also organized AstraZeneca vaccination for Covid-19 prevention phase 1 for 100 people who are the frontline medical team.

By Jochen Braitinger, SWR At the fan manufacturer EBM-Papst with headquarters in Mulfingen, Baden-Württemberg, people have been thinking for months about how their own workforce could be vaccinated – purely organizationally. The plans have long been in the drawer, right through to the shuttle service. “It’s about 3,500 employees who would have to come from different plants,” says Ralf Stehle from the company’s pilot vaccination center working group. “We have our own bus routes that we want to use for this.” Stefan Brandl, the boss of EBM-Papst, applied to the Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg Winfried Kretschmann last month: as a “pilot company for Covid-19 vaccinations”. After three weeks of waiting, the rejection came. The companies should start vaccinations when the vaccine is no longer in short supply, writes the state ministry of the state. There is no need for a model project in a company. The initiative at EBM-Papst does not seem to be desired, at least in the short term.

EBM Papst boss Stefan Brandl wants more flexibility in the vaccination campaign. Image: dpa

Company doctors could accelerate the rate of vaccination

In the VW plants in the state of Saxony, on the other hand, vaccination against Corona is already taking place. It is a model project on behalf of the German Red Cross, writes Volkswagen AG in a press release. The aim is to vaccinate a clearly defined risk group in the workforce from the Vogtland district – a high incidence area. Company vaccinations could help to accelerate the vaccination coverage of the population, according to the Federation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA). With the use of company doctors, according to BDA estimates, the working hours of 6,000 full-time doctors could also be contributed. In addition, it would be easier to organize vaccination within the company for the approximately 31 million employees.

Larger amounts of vaccine expected from May

If the forecasts of experts are correct, more vaccine against the coronavirus will be available from May this year. According to the Association of German Company and Works Doctors (VDBW), there would then be nothing in the way of a nationwide vaccination, including in companies. However, after more than a year of the corona pandemic, many questions are still open: It is still not clear how company doctors should be rewarded, who is liable and how the vaccine gets into the factories, says VDBW President Wolfgang Panter.

Mark Shiring, the US boss of EBM-Pope, taking a vaccination selfie in the drive-through. 30 percent of his employees there are already vaccinated. Image: SWR

Company wants to keep applying pressure

At the EBM-Papst headquarters in Mulfingen, there is a great longing for normalcy. At the moment, employees are given a Corona self-test twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays. 50,000 test kits are in stock, another 50,000 have been ordered. But CEO Brandl would prefer a vaccinated workforce. He is the boss of a total of 15,000 employees. The company also has plants in China and the United States. Far more employees are currently vaccinated abroad than in Germany, according to Brandl. “We have probably now reached a capacity of over 30 percent at our location in the USA. This shows that the Americans are much less bureaucratic, faster – and that would of course also be nice if we could do that in Germany.”

Companies keep applying pressure

The pilot vaccination center working group at EBM-Papst around Ralf Stehle is disappointed by the rejection of its own pilot vaccination center, but is not discouraged – even if the decision of the state government and the lack of vaccines forces them to wait and see. Meanwhile, company boss Brandl continues to apply pressure: “If we want to bring speed into the vaccination campaign, then we need the companies. And we will not let up and continue to work at the ministry that it can be done quickly and that we can quickly get involved in this strategy.” . “