Originally Posted by
tommy
Not sure if this has been covered in this thread or if it belongs in the other COVID thread or not, but I'l try here.
What are the legal implications, if any, of an employer requiring an employee to be fully vaccinated before returning to the workplace, whether it be an office, a school, or other place of employment? I'm envisioning an employer saying to an employee, "We're re-opening the office. We'd love to have you join us as you always have over your X number of years of employment. But in order to do so, you must be fully vaccinated. It is a condition of employment. If you don't want to get a vaccination for whatever reason, you don't have to, but you won't be able to work here anymore?"
Obviously in some situations, unions are involved and that would be a factor. But employers are generally able to set the terms and conditions of employment, and it seems to me this is an utterly reasonable condition of employment -- ensuring the workplace safety of all employees from transmission of a deadly virus.
I suppose employers could, in some situations, offer employees who can show some sort of religious objection to the vaccine, to work from home. Many jobs are not conducive to that, however.
So what do we know about the ability of employers to ensure a safe workplace by mandating vaccination of all employees?