What to Know if Your Employer Wants You to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine.
As both Moderna and Pfizer inch closer to developing a coronavirus vaccine deemed suitable for public use.
You may be wondering how your in-office work life could be affected.
Though many people want to be vaccinated as soon as possible, .
Some people have reservations about vaccines in general or about their employer having a say in their medical care.
Legal experts say that though it can be a moral grey area, employers can legally mandate getting the shot.
This idea that vaccines can be mandated is well-established, Jay Rosenlieb, partner and chair of the Labor and Employment Group at Klein DeNatale Goldner law firm in California.
I fully expect there will be employers that choose to make it mandatory, David Barron, an employment attorney at Cozen O'Connor.
However, the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act could provide exceptions for those with medical conditions or "sincerely held" religious beliefs.
Moral or political reasons would not be protected.
But forcing employees to get vaccinated could also lead to workers' comp claims if the employee experiences adverse reactions.
Rather than mandating the vaccine, Rosenlieb suggests encouraging and motivating employees to be vaccinated through other means.
Such as allowing workers to be vaccinated on company time or setting an example with senior executives being vaccinated
