Can folks get fired for refusing to get COVID vaccine?

Vaccine for the public, many might be weighing whether they'll even get the shot when it becomes available.

News 12's dorothy sherman explains that getting the vaccine could decide whether or not you keep your job.

Dsherman@wdef.com /dorothy sherman: "if you live in the south, and your employer requires you to get a vaccine and you refuse to do so, you could get fired."

A covid vaccine hasn't been approved by the fda quite yet.

But when it becomes available to the entire public, not everyone is set on getting it right away or at all.

Resident mike pilkington: "i'll be one of the last ones to get the vaccine when the vaccine comes out."

Nats in one circumstance, you might not have a choice, if you want to keep your job.

That's if your employer requires you to get one and you live in a fire at-will state.

North georgia and tennessee attorney mccracken poston: "they can let you go if they don't like what you wore on a certain day.

They could fire you for any reason.

That's the state of employer, employee law in most of the southern states."

North georgia and tennessee attorney mccracken poston says that there are some federal discriminatory laws that protect people, but... north georgia and tennessee attorney mccracken poston: "i don't think people refusing to take a vaccine would be a protected class."

North georgia and tennessee attorney mccracken poston: "i think that everybody needs to take a step away and realize there are some employers who may decide that they want to protect their customers.

The may want to put that as a promotion on their restaurant that all of our staff has been vaccinated for covid.

It's a public health issue, really."

Dsherman@wdef.com /dorothy sherman: "both georgia and tennessee are fire at-will states.

In chattanooga, dorothy sherman, news 12 now."

Over