Hoffman Quoted in The Wall Street Journal About Whether Employers Can Require Employees to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine
18 September 2020
Partner Carrie Hoffman was quoted in The Wall Street Journal article, “Can an Employer Require You to Get a Covid-19 Vaccine?” which examined whether private businesses can require employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 when the vaccinations are available.
Hoffman, a labor and employment lawyer, told the WSJ that a vaccine requirement may be lawful but impractical, especially for larger companies. “It’s going to be a tough call for a lot of employers,” Hoffman said.
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.
People
Related News
25 July 2024
In the News
Donald Schroeder on Groff – ‘Supreme Court decision is inviting a more fact-based analysis’
Foley & Lardner LLP partner Donald Schroeder assessed the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in a religious accommodation case as it returns to the district court in the Law360 article, “A Year After High Court Spotlight, Groff Case Still A Bellwether.”
24 July 2024
In the News
Louis Lehot Featured in Q&A on How Startups Can Prepare for IPO
Foley & Lardner LLP partner Louis Lehot features in the Q&A, "How startups can get in top shape for an IPO, according to Silicon Valley lawyer Louis Lehot," part of Business Insider's Road to IPO' series.
24 July 2024
In the News
Courtenay Brinckerhoff on Patent Cap in Drug Pricing – ‘Hard to predict if this will make a difference’
Foley & Lardner LLP partner Courtenay Brinckerhoff discussed a recent bill passed in the U.S. Senate aimed at lowering drug prices by limiting the number of patents that can be asserted in cases over biosimilars in the Law360 article, “Patent Cap In Drug Pricing Bill Seen As Having Muted Effect.”