Can New York Employers Mandate COVID-19 Vaccinations?
With more than six million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine already administered in New York, employers and employees both face an important question: can a company mandate its employees get vaccinated?
With President Biden directing states to make the COVID-19 vaccine available to all adults by May 1, 2021, private sector employers have focused on two questions. First, may a private sector employer make it mandatory for employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine? Second, may an employer in New York State fire an employee who refuses to be vaccinated?
The short answers are “yes” and “yes.” But a well-advised private sector employer will take a more nuanced approached to this issue.