Iowa Allows Workers Fired for Not Following Vaccine Mandate to Get Unemployment Benefits

By: Jivisha Aggarwal, Pawzfeed editor, The Pawprint 

In a recent policy signed by Republican governor Kim Reynolds workers who have been fired due to refusing to get vaccinated will be eligible for unemployment benefits. This policy also allows for religious exemptions for the vaccine. 

This legislation has now created a loophole as these employees have violated company policy which is grounds to refuse benefits based on the society for HR management. 

This legislation comes as a way to oppose Biden attempting to increase national vaccination rates including federal workers, healthcare employees and people who work at companies with more than 100 workers. 

A crowd of over 100 Iowans flocked to the Iowa capitol to protest vaccine mandates including business owners who believe this could lead to higher unemployment insurance rates without government aid. “I believe we have found a meaningful solution to protect Iowans and Iowa businesses from the Biden administration’s extreme government overreach,” Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley said in a statement after the bill passed, according to the Des Moines Register.