Controversial issues regarding collective security during the COVID-19 pandemic often include discussions of if a sanitary mask fulfills the functions assigned to it or not. In particular, one of the ambiguous topics is the question of whether it is necessary to wear a mask after vaccination. Human resource managers should understand that after employees are vaccinated, wearing a mask is unnecessary and an overprotective measure. Forcing subordinates to resort to additional personal protective steps is pointless, and any liability for the non-observance of the mask regime should be removed at the organizational level.
After full vaccination, a person does not need to wear a mask when in contact with other people. According to Shriver (2021), antibodies build up in the body in sufficient quantity to fight off the disease, which is the essence of vaccination. In addition, Adjodah et al. (2021) argue that today, the rate of vaccination has improved, which indicates the imminent acquisition of herd immunity and a decrease in the incidence of the coronavirus infection. The main argument that West (2021) also makes is that vaccination protects vulnerable citizens and provides an opportunity to curb the growth of disease cases. Therefore, wearing a mask is an optional measure that is perceived rather as a habit than a real protection tool.
This information is relevant not only to employees but also to managers working with personnel. The current policies to monitor employee health compliance should be reviewed because vaccination is a step towards overcoming the pandemic, and collective safety principles need to be transformed. Therefore, the problem concerns the heads of structural divisions primarily. At the same time, despite the arguments presented, challenges may arise with the delivery of this information to supervisors and team leaders. People who do not understand the principles of vaccination can resist change, which, in turn, will make it difficult to optimize the workflow. For many of them, masks have become an essential attribute, and it may seem to them wrong to abandon these protection tools, despite the illogicality of such behavior.
The key goal is to convey to the target audience that vaccination is an objective driver to reduce the level of existing sanitary standards due to the principles of impact on public health. The gradual transition to mass vaccination and the abandonment of personal protective equipment as useless tools are important tasks to be implemented in the near future. To achieve this, an appropriate evidence base is needed, which includes not only general reasoning but also accurate scientific justification. Communicating the necessary data to team leaders and human resource managers can help convince them that they should not follow outdated health safety practices.
As a rationale for the proposed argument for avoiding masks for vaccinated employees, relevant resources can be utilized. For instance, the article by Adjodah et al. (2021) considers how avoiding mask mandate could affect COVID-19 outcomes. The authors note that tightening vaccination controls rather than personal protective equipment may be a better practice to address the pandemic (Adjodah et al., 2021). The research by Shriver (2021) cites similar theses, and the author draws attention to the fact that gradual vaccination of a large part of the population is inevitable, which can reduce new disease cases significantly.
As a result, the need for masks is eliminated because people acquire the necessary antibodies and immunity to the coronavirus infection. Finally, West (2021) argues that most policymakers and health managers agree on the benefits of masks but, at the same time, confirm that vaccination is a reliable means of protecting the population. Thus, authoritative sources confirm the relevance of the thesis about the safety of mask-free social contacts in the context of mass vaccination.
As a result of the proposed evidence, the argument about the uselessness of using masks in interactions between vaccinated employees can be supported by specific arguments. Firstly, human resource managers have information on the number of vaccinated employees, and this is not difficult for them to identify who has the right not to wear a mask in the workplace. Secondly, social distance becomes irrelevant since, as Shriver (2021) states, for a vaccinated person, even an unvaccinated interlocutor does not pose a threat. Thirdly, vaccination control is a sufficient measure to do by human resource managers because, according to Adjodah et al. (2021), vaccination is progressing rapidly. Therefore, the original argument has ample reasons to propose for consideration.
While taking into account the evidence presented, the safety of mask-free social contacts for vaccinated employees is easy to prove. The aforementioned research shows that wearing a mask is meaningless if a person is immune to the disease. In addition, based on vaccination statistics, the number of vaccinated citizens is growing rapidly. Since human resource managers are aware of the vaccination status, avoiding mask mandate can be an objective and reasonable solution in organizations with a sufficient number of vaccinated employees. As a result, given such explanations, one can justify the position about the possibility of abandoning masks.
References
Adjodah, D., Dinakar, K., Chinazzi, M., Fraiberger, S. P., Pentland, A., & Bates, S. (2021). Association between COVID-19 outcomes and mask mandates, adherence, and attitudes. PLOS ONE, 16(6), e0252315. Web.
Shriver, L. (2021). It’s time to face the truth about masks. The Spectator, 346(10056), 23.
West, M. G. (2021). Covid-19 mask mandates are again at center of political battles. The Wall Street Journal. Web.