Hoffman Quoted in The Wall Street Journal About Whether Employers Can Require Employees to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine

She says it could be time-consuming and costly for a company’s human resources to sort out individual opt-out requests. A company that mandates vaccines could also face a gross negligence suit or have to pay out a workers’ compensation claim if an inoculated employee has a severe reaction. On the flip side, it is unlikely that a company would be held legally responsible for not requiring vaccinations if no law were violated. “I don’t see how an employer would be liable for not mandating a vaccine,” she said.

Because of those complications, companies have more incentive to encourage, facilitate and subsidize vaccinations to help curb the spread of disease, she added.