Garrison, Levin-Epstein, Fitzgerald & Pirrotti, P.C. Partner Nina Pirrotti and Shipman & Goodwin LLP Partner Dan Schwartz recently sat down with WTNH News 8’s Dennis House on ‘This Week in Connecticut’ to discuss the rights and obligations of employers and employees when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Watch the full interview here, starting at minute 7:04.
This recent news segment covered the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers and Connecticut state employees. The cut-off for state workers, teachers, and long-term care workers to get vaccinated was October 4. Workers who do not comply with state laws may be put on unpaid leave and health care workers may be terminated for noncompliance.
In the WTNH News 8 segment, Nina discussed employees who are unable to receive the vaccine due to medical conditions or sincerely held religious beliefs and their employers’ responsibility to engage in an interactive dialogue with them to determine whether a reasonable accommodation can be made. When asked whether the legality of the mandate might make it all the way to the Supreme Court, Nina stated that such a day might very well come but also discussed ways in which employers can minimize its exposure to litigation in the first place. She recommended that the employer “focus on being thoughtful, being reasonable, working with the employee, avoiding the lawsuit by finding a way to meet the employee halfway while still protecting the workforce.”
The lawyers of Garrison, Levin-Epstein, Fitzgerald & Pirrotti, P.C. have been advocating for employee and civil rights throughout Connecticut for more than 40 years. From our offices in New Haven, we provide award-winning representation in all aspects of Connecticut employment law.