Vaccine Mandates in the Workplace

Vaccines in the workplace may be a trending topic, but this issue has been one employers have dealt with for years. While the rhetoric around vaccines in the workplace has certainly become divisive (to say the least!) the laws surrounding enforcement of vaccine mandates are not new. SmithAmundsen’s employment counsel have been helping employers develop and implement vaccine policies and protocols for vaccines in the workplace for decades. 

We cannot deny though that today’s environment does bring vaccine mandates straight out of the handbook and into the public eye. Whether you’re dealing with putting into place a first-ever vaccine mandate or following federal or local guidelines to ensure your employees are vaccinated, wading through the variety of rules and regulations across the country can be daunting. That’s where our team of exceptional attorneys can help.

Our services include providing the following:

• Drafting and reviewing vaccine policies, including ensuring the client is following applicable federal or state regulations, especially when those are conflicting
• Counsel on exemption requests (religious and medical, including pregnancy-related)
• Counsel on employee discipline as needed
• Assistance with employee handbook and policy updates
• Ensuring appropriate policies apply employer-wide (i.e. when an employer has employees working in multiple jurisdictions)
• Creating a consent process for appropriately sharing vaccination information with clients/vendors (i.e. when your business is a vendor to another business requiring vaccinations for all employees and third party operators)
• Counsel on wage and hour issues
• Counsel on collective bargaining issues
• Assistance with implementing requirements that are specific to a client’s industry
• Counsel federal contractors on their changing obligations