Can you lose your job for not getting the COVID vaccine?

Posted by Garrison, Levin-Epstein, Fitzgerald & Pirrotti, P.C. in News

Jan 13 2021

By Laura Hutchinson

(WTNH) — Connecticut is beginning to notify people in Phase 1B who will soon be eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations.

As more people get ready to roll up their sleeves, others may not want it.

News 8 is stretching your dollar with whether your employer can require you to get it.

Teachers, day care providers, grocery store workers and first responders are all in line to get the coronavirus vaccine next under Phase 1B in Connecticut.

While many are looking forward to getting the vaccine, others may not want it. But employment attorney Amanda DeMatteis said, in many cases, employers can implement a vaccine mandate, especially if you have close contact with others on the job.

“You not getting the vaccination cannot pose a direct threat to others in the workplace or others who may enter the workplace.”

But, she said there may be some exceptions to a vaccine mandate..

“If you are prohibited from getting the vaccine because of a sincerely held religious belief or because of a disability you may have, your employer needs to reasonably accommodate you after you make such a request,” DeMatteis explained.

That may mean allowing you to work unvaccinated from home or isolated in an office or with enhanced PPE. However, even that may have limitations depending on the business.

“Your employer is required to provide you that reasonable accommodation, so long as it’s not an undue hardship to their business.”

Choosing not to get the vaccine simply because you don’t want it likely won’t hold up legally if your employer mandates vaccinations, she warned. You should contact an expert, in that case, to go over your options.

DeMatteis said the guidance on COVID in the workplace comes from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and previous vaccinations.

There may be changes in the future as lawsuits start to play out in court.

More information can be found online.

Posted by Garrison, Levin-Epstein, Fitzgerald & Pirrotti, P.C. in News

Tagged Amanda DeMatteis

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