Anti-vax at the Vatican? You might lose your job
ROME (AP) — The Vatican is taking Pope Francis’ pro- vaccine stance very seriously: Any Vatican employee who refuses to get a coronavirus shot without a valid medical reason risks being fired.
A Feb. 8 decree signed by the governor of the Vatican city- state says that employees who opt out of vaccination without a proven medical reason could be subject to a sanction up to and including “the interruption of the relationship of employment.”
The directive cited the need to protect Vatican employees in the workplace, as well as guidelines issued by Francis’ advisory COVID-19 commission, which said individuals
have a moral responsibility to get vaccinated “given that refusing a vaccine can constitute a risk for others.”
The decree sparked heated debate Thursday, since its provisions go well beyond the generally voluntary nature of COVID-19 vaccinations in
Italy and much of the rest of the world. The Vatican is an absolute monarchy in the heart of Rome that operates independently of Italian law and Italian labor protections.
In a statement late Thursday responding to questions about the decree, the Vatican City
State governorate’s office defended the measure but denied it infringed on the rights of employees. It said it was issued as an urgent response to a public health crisis and reflected the need to protect individual workers and the broader community.
The statement said the reference to a 2011 norm allowing for the possible firing of an employee who refuses preventive health care measures was not punitive in nature. Rather, the statement said, it is “a tool providing a flexible and proportional response to the need to balance the health care of the collective with the freedom of choice, without resorting to any repressive means vis a vis the employee.”
Reader question: We have had our home for sale on and off for some time. We have tried it ourselves, and we have hired real estate agents to no avail. This time, we are going on four months now. In the past, we felt that our house didn’t sell because it’s unique. Our agent says it just takes the right buyer, and the $ 450,000 price is right. How can we check if the price is OK ourselves?
Monty’s answer: No home has an exact price but instead has a range of value. The more unique a home, the fewer comparable sale comparisons. The fewer comparable sales comparisons, the wider the range of value. Home sellers are more prone to misjudge their home’s value because they lack appraisal experience and the emotions homeownership brings.
Self-evaluate price
• Drive by the comparables. Are the sales genuinely comparable? The identical home may be miles away and contain the same amenities and be the same size on paper, so it presents as a good comparable. But a paper description leaves many unknown facts. These unknowns are why fee appraisers are required to drive by the comparables. Real estate agents are not required to perform a drive- by.
• Are you placing value on improvements that don’t count? Many improvements add little or no value on resale. Solar panels, extensive landscaping, roofs and swimming pools are typically improvements that may not increase and even detract from a home’s worth.
• Does the uniqueness add value? Or is it a hindrance to the sale? A variety of ideas, like floor plans, odd design, building materials and more, can substantially reduce a home’s marketability. Consider whether the uniqueness is as valuable as you give it credit.
• Determine what your home would cost new. Suppose a buyer can replicate your home brandnew for less than you are asking. In that case, it will likely sit unsold until you reduce the price or accept a reasonable offer.
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Does your supporting cast support your contention?
If your home is the only 5,000-square-foot home in a 1,800- square- foot neighborhood, expect to make an adjustment. If a facility that creates noise or odor is nearby, there may be resistance unless the buyer works at the facility. If your next- door neighbor has neglected their house, or keeps junk cars in the backyard, many prospects will reject your home.
Richard Montgomery is the author of “House Money – An Insider’s Secrets to Saving Thousands When You Buy or Sell a Home.” He advocates