Can your employer require vaccinations after June 2nd?
With these health orders being lifted in June, employers might be looking to bring people back into the workplace.
When employees do enter this new phase of post-pandemic life, what can employers ask of you or require of you? Your employer can require you to be fully vaccinated.
"Ohio is an 'at will' employment state which means an employer can fire you for a good reason, a bad reason or no reason at all. They don't even have to tell you why. unemployment benefits are a different consideration for that but unless you have a business contract for employment, you're at 'at will' employee," said attorney, Justin Markota.
There are two exceptions. Those who can't get vaccinated due to medical reasons or for religious reasons are exempt.
If you are wondering if your co-worker who sits next to you is vaccinated, are you allowed to ask?
"It's permissible to ask if an employee has been vaccinated but it gets dicey if you ask why they haven't been vaccinated because you may step into health reasons that are private," said attorney Ira Mikrkin.
If a worker has concerns about their health being around someone who is not vaccinated, they could ask for their employer to try to make some accommodations there, maybe in regards to space.
One thing is fore sure, this is all new territory for everyone.
"The courts are just now going to be diving into these questions and they don't always accept EEOC guidance as gospel," added Mirkin.
