LABOR Secretary Silvestre Bello III yesterday defended employers who will reject unvaccinated job seekers, saying that is their “privilege.”
In a television interview, Bello said an employer cannot be faulted if he/she opts to hire employees that have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
“No one can force an employer if they don’t want to hire unvaccinated applicants,” said Bello. “That is the privilege of the employers, who they want to employ.”
Bello sad there is no violation in the event that an employer includes having COVID-19 jabs among the requirements in accepting applicants.
“Before hiring, there is no employer-employee relationship yet,” he explained.
Bello cited as an example the employers looking to hire 25-year-old applicants with pleasing personalities.
“If you don’t have a pleasing personality, you can be denied. That’s the same, the privilege of the employer,” said Bello.
Earlier, some business groups asked the government to allow them to deny employment to job seekers who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
