MAYFIELD, Ohio — Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside of the Progressive Insurance building in Mayfield Saturday to protest a company vaccine policy employees claim will leave them with a surcharge if they do not get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Employees said that the company informed them that they will start charging unvaccinated employees $650 a year beginning in January.
The protesters gathered outside of Progressive Saturday holding signs that read "Our Constitutional Rights Are Essential, and "My Body My Choice," among other signage.
"I feel that there are limits that corporations should stop with what they're trying to impose on the people," said one Progressive employee protesting. "We should not be penalized because we're choosing to have complete autonomy on our bodies."
A spokesperson for Progressive released the following statement:
"Our priority has been and continues to be our people’s health and safety, from shifting to remote work to providing our people with information and resources to stay healthy. We told our employees some time ago that we would add a bi-weekly surcharge for employees who choose to enroll in our medical plans but choose not to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We knew the surcharge wouldn’t be welcome news for some, but we feel strongly it’s the right decision for us to help address the financial risks associated with COVID-19 claims while controlling plan premiums for all Progressive employees
We were aware that a protest against the surcharge was being planned. While we don’t know who sponsored the protest, or even if it included any of our employees, we respect the right to engage in lawful, peaceful, and respectful protests."
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