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Flu Season Is Approaching, Should You Require Employees to Get A Flu Shot?

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, getting a flu shot this year is even more important than it has been in the past. (If you don't believe me, talk to the CDC.)

Does this mean that employers should require all their employees to get flu shots? The short answer is NO.

As of this moment, there is no federal or state law (in Louisiana that is) requiring all employers to compel all their employees be vaccinated for the flu. In fact, both the ADA (for persons with disabilities) and Title VII (for sincerely held religious beliefs) provide exceptions that would allow an employee to refuse to be vaccinated. Rather than require vaccinations, the EEOC has stated that "ADA-covered employers should consider simply encouraging employees to get the influenza vaccine rather than requiring them to take it." (Guidance) This Guidance was initially issue by the EEOC in 2009 and it was recently re-issued in March of this year.

This means that although most employers can strongly recommend that employees be vaccinated for the flu, they would also be required to go through the accommodation analysis required by the ADA and Title VII if an employee asked to be excused from the vaccination as an accommodation. 

Healthcare Workers: While the reasonableness of a healthcare worker's request to not be vaccinated would be held to higher scrutiny, especially in the case of one who provides direct patient care, the general analysis under the ADA and Title VII will be the same. The existence of a state or local law or administrative guidance recommending vaccinations for healthcare workers and the worker's direct contact with patients will play into the reasonableness, or lack thereof, of the employees request to not be vaccinated.

Employers should ensure that their requests, or mandates as the case may be, that employees be vaccinated are based upon the best available guidance: refer to the CDC and EEOC publications above, and the worker's specific job duties. Whatever policy you land on needs to be clearly communicated to your employees and your supervisors must be trained to respond to employee requests to be exempt from vaccinations. (This should generally entail spotting the issue and immediately reporting it to HR for the appropriate analysis.) And, in the context of all of this communication and analysis, the employee's medical information should be kept confidential.

Flu Season Is Approaching, Should You Require Employees to Get A Flu Shot?

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, getting a flu shot this year is even more important than it has been in the past. (If you don't believe me, talk to the CDC.)

Does this mean that employers should require all their employees to get flu shots? The short answer is NO.

As of this moment, there is no federal or state law (in Louisiana that is) requiring all employers to compel all their employees be vaccinated for the flu. In fact, both the ADA (for persons with disabilities) and Title VII (for sincerely held religious beliefs) provide exceptions that would allow an employee to refuse to be vaccinated. Rather than require vaccinations, the EEOC has stated that "ADA-covered employers should consider simply encouraging employees to get the influenza vaccine rather than requiring them to take it." (Guidance) This Guidance was initially issue by the EEOC in 2009 and it was recently re-issued in March of this year.

This means that although most employers can strongly recommend that employees be vaccinated for the flu, they would also be required to go through the accommodation analysis required by the ADA and Title VII if an employee asked to be excused from the vaccination as an accommodation. 

Healthcare Workers: While the reasonableness of a healthcare worker's request to not be vaccinated would be held to higher scrutiny, especially in the case of one who provides direct patient care, the general analysis under the ADA and Title VII will be the same. The existence of a state or local law or administrative guidance recommending vaccinations for healthcare workers and the worker's direct contact with patients will play into the reasonableness, or lack thereof, of the employees request to not be vaccinated.

Employers should ensure that their requests, or mandates as the case may be, that employees be vaccinated are based upon the best available guidance: refer to the CDC and EEOC publications above, and the worker's specific job duties. Whatever policy you land on needs to be clearly communicated to your employees and your supervisors must be trained to respond to employee requests to be exempt from vaccinations. (This should generally entail spotting the issue and immediately reporting it to HR for the appropriate analysis.) And, in the context of all of this communication and analysis, the employee's medical information should be kept confidential.

Flu Season Is Approaching, Should You Require Employees to Get A Flu Shot?

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, getting a flu shot this year is even more important than it has been in the past. (If you don't believe me, talk to the CDC.)

Does this mean that employers should require all their employees to get flu shots? The short answer is NO.

As of this moment, there is no federal or state law (in Louisiana that is) requiring all employers to compel all their employees be vaccinated for the flu. In fact, both the ADA (for persons with disabilities) and Title VII (for sincerely held religious beliefs) provide exceptions that would allow an employee to refuse to be vaccinated. Rather than require vaccinations, the EEOC has stated that "ADA-covered employers should consider simply encouraging employees to get the influenza vaccine rather than requiring them to take it." (Guidance) This Guidance was initially issue by the EEOC in 2009 and it was recently re-issued in March of this year.

This means that although most employers can strongly recommend that employees be vaccinated for the flu, they would also be required to go through the accommodation analysis required by the ADA and Title VII if an employee asked to be excused from the vaccination as an accommodation. 

Healthcare Workers: While the reasonableness of a healthcare worker's request to not be vaccinated would be held to higher scrutiny, especially in the case of one who provides direct patient care, the general analysis under the ADA and Title VII will be the same. The existence of a state or local law or administrative guidance recommending vaccinations for healthcare workers and the worker's direct contact with patients will play into the reasonableness, or lack thereof, of the employees request to not be vaccinated.

Employers should ensure that their requests, or mandates as the case may be, that employees be vaccinated are based upon the best available guidance: refer to the CDC and EEOC publications above, and the worker's specific job duties. Whatever policy you land on needs to be clearly communicated to your employees and your supervisors must be trained to respond to employee requests to be exempt from vaccinations. (This should generally entail spotting the issue and immediately reporting it to HR for the appropriate analysis.) And, in the context of all of this communication and analysis, the employee's medical information should be kept confidential.

Flu Season Is Approaching, Should You Require Employees to Get A Flu Shot?

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, getting a flu shot this year is even more important than it has been in the past. (If you don't believe me, talk to the CDC.)

Does this mean that employers should require all their employees to get flu shots? The short answer is NO.

As of this moment, there is no federal or state law (in Louisiana that is) requiring all employers to compel all their employees be vaccinated for the flu. In fact, both the ADA (for persons with disabilities) and Title VII (for sincerely held religious beliefs) provide exceptions that would allow an employee to refuse to be vaccinated. Rather than require vaccinations, the EEOC has stated that "ADA-covered employers should consider simply encouraging employees to get the influenza vaccine rather than requiring them to take it." (Guidance) This Guidance was initially issue by the EEOC in 2009 and it was recently re-issued in March of this year.

This means that although most employers can strongly recommend that employees be vaccinated for the flu, they would also be required to go through the accommodation analysis required by the ADA and Title VII if an employee asked to be excused from the vaccination as an accommodation. 

Healthcare Workers: While the reasonableness of a healthcare worker's request to not be vaccinated would be held to higher scrutiny, especially in the case of one who provides direct patient care, the general analysis under the ADA and Title VII will be the same. The existence of a state or local law or administrative guidance recommending vaccinations for healthcare workers and the worker's direct contact with patients will play into the reasonableness, or lack thereof, of the employees request to not be vaccinated.

Employers should ensure that their requests, or mandates as the case may be, that employees be vaccinated are based upon the best available guidance: refer to the CDC and EEOC publications above, and the worker's specific job duties. Whatever policy you land on needs to be clearly communicated to your employees and your supervisors must be trained to respond to employee requests to be exempt from vaccinations. (This should generally entail spotting the issue and immediately reporting it to HR for the appropriate analysis.) And, in the context of all of this communication and analysis, the employee's medical information should be kept confidential.

Flu Season Is Approaching, Should You Require Employees to Get A Flu Shot?

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, getting a flu shot this year is even more important than it has been in the past. (If you don't believe me, talk to the CDC.)

Does this mean that employers should require all their employees to get flu shots? The short answer is NO.

As of this moment, there is no federal or state law (in Louisiana that is) requiring all employers to compel all their employees be vaccinated for the flu. In fact, both the ADA (for persons with disabilities) and Title VII (for sincerely held religious beliefs) provide exceptions that would allow an employee to refuse to be vaccinated. Rather than require vaccinations, the EEOC has stated that "ADA-covered employers should consider simply encouraging employees to get the influenza vaccine rather than requiring them to take it." (Guidance) This Guidance was initially issue by the EEOC in 2009 and it was recently re-issued in March of this year.

This means that although most employers can strongly recommend that employees be vaccinated for the flu, they would also be required to go through the accommodation analysis required by the ADA and Title VII if an employee asked to be excused from the vaccination as an accommodation. 

Healthcare Workers: While the reasonableness of a healthcare worker's request to not be vaccinated would be held to higher scrutiny, especially in the case of one who provides direct patient care, the general analysis under the ADA and Title VII will be the same. The existence of a state or local law or administrative guidance recommending vaccinations for healthcare workers and the worker's direct contact with patients will play into the reasonableness, or lack thereof, of the employees request to not be vaccinated.

Employers should ensure that their requests, or mandates as the case may be, that employees be vaccinated are based upon the best available guidance: refer to the CDC and EEOC publications above, and the worker's specific job duties. Whatever policy you land on needs to be clearly communicated to your employees and your supervisors must be trained to respond to employee requests to be exempt from vaccinations. (This should generally entail spotting the issue and immediately reporting it to HR for the appropriate analysis.) And, in the context of all of this communication and analysis, the employee's medical information should be kept confidential.

Flu Season Is Approaching, Should You Require Employees to Get A Flu Shot?

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, getting a flu shot this year is even more important than it has been in the past. (If you don't believe me, talk to the CDC.)

Does this mean that employers should require all their employees to get flu shots? The short answer is NO.

As of this moment, there is no federal or state law (in Louisiana that is) requiring all employers to compel all their employees be vaccinated for the flu. In fact, both the ADA (for persons with disabilities) and Title VII (for sincerely held religious beliefs) provide exceptions that would allow an employee to refuse to be vaccinated. Rather than require vaccinations, the EEOC has stated that "ADA-covered employers should consider simply encouraging employees to get the influenza vaccine rather than requiring them to take it." (Guidance) This Guidance was initially issue by the EEOC in 2009 and it was recently re-issued in March of this year.

This means that although most employers can strongly recommend that employees be vaccinated for the flu, they would also be required to go through the accommodation analysis required by the ADA and Title VII if an employee asked to be excused from the vaccination as an accommodation. 

Healthcare Workers: While the reasonableness of a healthcare worker's request to not be vaccinated would be held to higher scrutiny, especially in the case of one who provides direct patient care, the general analysis under the ADA and Title VII will be the same. The existence of a state or local law or administrative guidance recommending vaccinations for healthcare workers and the worker's direct contact with patients will play into the reasonableness, or lack thereof, of the employees request to not be vaccinated.

Employers should ensure that their requests, or mandates as the case may be, that employees be vaccinated are based upon the best available guidance: refer to the CDC and EEOC publications above, and the worker's specific job duties. Whatever policy you land on needs to be clearly communicated to your employees and your supervisors must be trained to respond to employee requests to be exempt from vaccinations. (This should generally entail spotting the issue and immediately reporting it to HR for the appropriate analysis.) And, in the context of all of this communication and analysis, the employee's medical information should be kept confidential.