Can employers force vaccination against COVID-19?
Yes, with a few exceptions.
Experts say employers may require employees to take safety measures, including vaccination. This does not necessarily mean that you will be fired if you deny it, but you may have to sign a waiver or agree to work under specific conditions to limit any risks you may pose to yourself or others.
“Employers generally have a wide range” to set standards for the workplace, said Dorit Reiss, a law professor who specializes in vaccine policies at Hastings University College of Law. “It’s their thing.”
The U.S. Commission for Equal Employment Opportunity has allowed companies to demand the flu vaccine and other vaccines, and has also indicated this. may require COVID-19 vaccines.
There are exceptions; for example, people may apply for exemptions for medical or religious reasons.
And while employers may require vaccines, there are reasons they may not want to.
Following compliance with mandatory vaccination would be an administrative burden, said Michelle S. Strowhiro, a labor counselor and lawyer for McDermott Will & Emery. Employers should also handle exemption requests, not to mention legal claims that may arise.
As a result, many employers are likely to strongly encourage vaccination without requiring it, Strowhiro said.
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