Should city employees who were terminated for failure to take the COVID vaccine be reinstated?

by IndiePundit

Community

(This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025 Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025 at 3:13:57pm PST

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced that former city employees who were fired for not getting the COVID-19 vaccine will be given another chance to come back to work. About 1,500 workers, including teachers, public housing staff, and other city employees, can now reapply to their previous positions and titles at the same pay. However, they won’t get back pay or credit for the time they were away.

These workers were originally let go in 2021, under former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration, when New York City required all city employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The rule was meant to help control the spread of the virus during the height of the pandemic. Those who refused to take the vaccine lost their jobs, while many others complied to keep theirs.

Now that the pandemic is behind us, opinions are split on whether these employees should get their jobs back. Supporters say the city has moved on, health rules have changed, and agencies are facing staffing shortages, so bringing back experienced workers makes sense. Critics argue that reinstating those who refused the vaccine could send the wrong message about public health rules and fairness to those who followed them.

This isn’t the first time Mayor Adams has made this offer. A similar opportunity in 2023 led to around 450 former workers being reinstated. This new round extends that offer to all eligible employees who were terminated for not getting vaccinated. There is still no guarantee that when they apply that they will be rehired but they’ll be eligible to apply.

So, what do you think? Do you believe city employees who were terminated for failure to take the COVID vaccine should now be reinstated?