As COVID-19 Vaccine Nears, Employers Consider Making It Mandatory

Holly Smith, chef and owner of Cafe Juanita in Kirkland, Wash., says she will not reopen her restaurant to diners until all of her staff have gotten the COVID-19 vaccination.

Thomas Barwick

Just a few months into the coronavirus pandemic, Holly Smith had already made up her mind. She was not going to reopen her restaurant to diners until there was a vaccine. She just didn’t think it was safe. When she shared the decision with her staff, they asked: Would the vaccine be mandatory?

Yes, she said. It would be.

“I’m not going to open until I can indeed be sure that everyone on my staff is vaccinated,” says Smith, chef and owner of Cafe Juanita in Kirkland, Wash. “The immediate people on the team — you’ve got to take care of them. If you don’t take care of them, they cannot help you take care of business.”