Unfortunately, COVID-19 continues to infect people throughout the U.S. As vaccines become more widely available, integrated marketing communication firms have many questions about what that will mean for their workforces. Can we now safely return to the office (if still working remotely)? Can we mandate employee vaccinations prior to each employee’s return to in-person work? And what happens if an employee refuses to take the vaccine? This article will help answer those questions.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued guidance in December that discusses the legal issues surrounding the intersection of the COVID-19 vaccine and federal anti-discrimination laws. In general, these laws do not prohibit employers from requiring vaccines for their employees, so long as employers provide reasonable accommodations for disabilities and sincerely held religious beliefs and otherwise comply with their legal obligations.