In December 2020, we sent out an alert encouraging employers to start thinking about how to handle vaccine-related issues; but at that time, vaccines were hard to come by and there was no guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regarding whether employers could require their employees to get vaccinated. By now, however, all adults in the US are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and, as of the date of this alert, more than 33% of adults are fully vaccinated and more than 50% of adults have received one dose of the vaccines requiring two doses. The news is filled with stories about states requiring employees in health care industries to be vaccinated, some universities requiring students and staff to be vaccinated, and the potential need for people to have “vaccine passports” to be able to travel. The EEOC has finally published some guidance on this issue, so it’s logical that private employers are reexamining whether they can or should require that their employees be vaccinated. Continue reading >