04 Jan From the HR Support Center: A Note on Requiring COVID-19 Vaccines
With COVID-19 vaccinations underway and widespread availability in sight, many employers want to know whether they can require their employees to get the vaccine.
While recent EEOC guidance implies that they expect many employers to require a vaccine, there are already several states where bills are being introduced to prevent employment discrimination against those who refuse a vaccine (MN, NJ, SC), and it’s likely bills like this will be introduced in more states soon. Additionally, we anticipate that there will be state and federal lawsuits from individuals, which may result in rulings that impact the law in individual states or entire circuits (for instance, the Ninth Circuit, which covers AL, AR, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, WA, or the Eleventh Circuit, which covers AL, FL, GA).
Given the legal risks here, and since many Americans will not have access to a vaccine until Spring or even Summer, we believe it would be prudent for most employers to wait to see how things play out in courts and legislatures across the country before deciding to require vaccinations.
The HR Support Center is a service offered to Payroll Partners clients, and provides access to exclusive, industry-leading HR tools and resources, for just a few dollars a month. From employee handbooks, job descriptions and other commonly used HR documents, to up-to-the-minute law alerts, easy-to-understand state and federal law libraries, and unique training videos, the HR Support Center will help you effectively manage your HR compliance and employee relations needs.
Original content by the © HR Support Center. All Rights Reserved. This information is provided with the understanding that Payroll Partners is not rendering legal, human resources, or other professional advice or service. Professional advice on specific issues should be sought from a lawyer, HR consultant or other professional.