Fast Facts for June 1, 2021
Can your employer require you to get a Covid19 vaccine before you go back to your workplace?
Before I answer that I need you to take a breath.
The short answer…is yes. According to the federal government, your employer *can* create a policy that requires you to get a covid19 vaccine before you step foot into the workplace and has grounds to terminate you if you refuse.
However!
There are some exceptions…but they are very specific.
Late last week the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission updated its regulations for employers under the Americans with Disability Act (you know it as ADA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and other federal laws.
The EEOC says employers cannot force you to get a Covid19 vaccine if you claim a disability– outlined in the ADA law–, are pregnant, or if you have a sincerely held religious belief — described in Title VII.
Now – you can’t just claim one of those exemptions and that’s the end of it. If your employer is satisfied that your claim is valid, as long as it doesn’t cause your employer undue hardship or cost too much, you may be given what’s called a reasonable accommodation. Those accommodations include you being mandated to wear a face mask on the premises, work at a social distance from your coworkers, work a modified shift, be subject to regular Covid19 testing or you may be forced to accept a reassignment.
But if your refusal to be vaccinated cannot be reasonably accommodated by your employer, costs too much or if you just flatly refuse with no valid exemption, you can be terminated and your boss has every right to do it.
Also – your employer can require you to provide official documentation of your vaccination. The federal government says that is *not* an infringement on any of your rights. And just like the drug test your probably took when you were first hired, your vaccine record must remain confidential.
If you want to read all the details from the federal government you can go to eeoc.gov/coronavirus
