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The list of employers and government agencies requiring employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 is growing, and such requirements are generally legal under federal law. But employers need to be clear about when exceptions must be made and how state laws can add a wrinkle to their vaccination policies.
COVID-19 has pitted health and safety against the well-being of people and organizations. Keeping communities safe has meant sacrificing so much, and the pains of the past year have been twofold: Businesses have been forced to close or become remote, and workers’ emotional well-being has been at risk.
Texas’ Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is granted the authority to set immunization requirements by the Texas Education Code, Chapter 38. If you attended school from grades K-12, then you are familiar with these mandatory vaccines, e.g., measles, tuberculosis, tetanus, and polio. Vaccine mandates didn’t start with COVID-19, and they won’t end there, either. […]
Updated technical assistance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) clarifies how employers can require or encourage employees to take a COVID-19 vaccine, but attorneys advising employers point out how the document also contains cautions. The EEOC updated its technical assistance on May 28 to address questions about how federal equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws may be […]
As the vaccine rollout continues across the United States, employers are figuring out their employees’ needs. Some employers have opted to offer incentives for employees to get vaccinated, noting that having a vaccinated workforce can help reduce risks of COVID spread and absences as a result. Others have taken a hands-off approach and are allowing […]
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidance has confirmed employers may require a COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment and/or to return to the workplace. Employers that choose to do so, however, need to be careful about how they implement the vaccine requirements. Who Will Administer Vaccine? Under the EEOC’s guidance, administering the COVID-19 vaccine […]
Last March, in a matter of days, most U.S. employers went from doing business as usual to fully or partially shutting down. At the same time, we watched the stock market tank and wondered if we would ever return to normal. One way or another, most employers regrouped and reenvisioned how they conducted their businesses, […]
The long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine’s arrival has provided a ray of sunshine for employers hoping for a better 2021. But it also raised a slew of questions: How long until my workforce has access to it? Can I require all employees to be vaccinated? What if an individual worker refuses? Let’s look at the reasoning behind […]
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has provided new guidance for employers considering requiring COVID-19 vaccinations—guidance that attorneys advising employers say needs to be studied carefully.
The long-awaited COVID-19 vaccines are apparently close to mass distribution across the country. It’s a welcome development but also one that may put employers in a quandary: Should they require employees to be vaccinated, and, if not, what should they do to keep workers safe?