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Don’t challenge worse. This time a candy maker became ugly. Hershey Company is now firing employees that didn’t get vaccinated. There are several personal affronts happening here, among those is being paid to shut up and not sue them. Some signed and spoke of their pay anonymously. Like the internet, an algorithm determined it. Some received the equivalent of just over two months pay.
Employees spoke about the company
Working at Hershey was great, it was a fun place to be. The money was good and candies were placed throughout the building for nibbling. At Thanksgiving and Christmas the company would give out bags of candy, although that stopped Easter 2021.
You could try new products, the walls were colorful and selling this must have been fun. People love their sweets. But COVID changed all of that.
Many company meetings
Human resources had lots of meetings over months around vaccine education. Employees kept getting asked if they’d changed their minds and became subject to uncomfortable personal questions.
One employee really thought she’d be fine. You’re not supposed to question faith in the office. Kim Durham was a payment analyst and sourcing buyer, “I really thought I’d be OK. I thought, you cannot question my faith. Nobody can question that.”
The company denied her request
Durham asked for a religious exemption in August. In September she met with a human resource representative. The encounter wasn’t pleasant.
“I thought this was behind me until September when I met with an HR representative. It was an interrogation on your religious beliefs. They twisted your words and tried to put words in your mouth. It was terrible. I was asked such personal questions that had nothing to do with religion.” Durham was shocked. In November her request was denied.
Employees across the board
Anonymously expressed similar disturbing meetings with the company. Questions such as if the employee has ever been vaccinated, are your children vaccinated? How do you protect yourself when you’re outside your home? Do you regularly attend church? How can you justify taking medications such as Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Tums or Midol when the vaccine contains the much of the same ingredients?
People were told to be vaccinated for the greater good. It’s the best gift you can give your community. One new parent submitted paperwork for their new baby to receive insurance. That parent was questioned as to why the baby was vaccinated but the parent was refusing the COVID vaccination.
The company is completely out of line
Asking these questions. One employee put it, “What does that have to do with me keeping a job? From the time we started this ordeal, we have had seven meetings about my vaccination status. It was like harassment. I felt like I wanted to crawl under a rock when I was done.”
This has taken a toll. Durham mostly worked from home since COVID started, March 2020. The exception to that was maybe once every two weeks when a task required her to be in the office. When she was there it was only a skeleton crew. Temperatures were taken at the door and masks were required.
The company slapped employees further
Vaccinations were required by October 4. On October 5 Durham was told she wasn’t welcome in the building anymore. She worked til January and had a box sent to her to return equipment to the company.
“We are losing our jobs over this vaccine policy. It’s just wrong that a company can terminate you, and you lose your livelihood. This should not be forced.” Durham explained. The additional slap came when many employees trained their replacements only to find the replacements worked remotely.
The company gag order
Employees that signed the agreement have their hands tied and mouths gagged. They can’t talk about anything and can’t sue. Hershey is refusing comment.
Anonymous employees estimated 1,400 religious exemptions were submitted. Nobody knows if any were granted. Durham commented, “I know people who got the vaccine just to keep their job. It wasn’t something they wanted to do, but they needed the job. I need a job too. But I’m not going to do something I don’t feel comfortable doing, just keeping my job.”
