Workplace Safety / Violence

Wait! You mean we can raise insurance premiums for unvaccinated employees?

August 27, 2021 | by Eric B. Meyer

Earlier in the week, you may have heard the news about a company assessing unvaccinated employees a $200 surcharge to offset the rising costs of health insurance attributable to COVID-19. Continue reading

I’ve got poll results on mandatory vaccinations. Plus, hold September 1 at Noon ET for the next Zoom!!!

August 25, 2021 | by Eric B. Meyer

Image by torstensimon from Pixabay

Since the FDA approved the first COVID-19 vaccine, President Biden has asked employers to mandate employee vaccinations. The American Medical Association has echoed the sentiment.

But are more employers really ready to require COVID-19 vaccinations? Continue reading

FDA approves the first COVID-19 vaccine. Is your business ready to mandate vaccinations? (POLL)

August 24, 2021 | by Eric B. Meyer

Arne Müseler / www.arne-mueseler.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons

Yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it had approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine as the first COVID-19 vaccine.

Eric, I heard something about COVID-19 booster shots. Do we need provide employees PTO for that?

August 19, 2021 | by Eric B. Meyer

Image by torstensimon from Pixabay

Yesterday, the CDC announced that a COVID-19 booster shot would be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability. Not coincidentally, multiple news outlets, including NBC News (here), report that the U.S. will begin to provide Covid-19 booster shots to all Americans beginning the third week of September.

So, now seems as good a team as any for a refresher course on the employer’s legal obligations regarding employees taking time off from work to get a COVID-19 vaccination. Continue reading

Can an employee fired for refusing a mandatory workplace vaccination collect unemployment?

August 18, 2021 | by Eric B. Meyer

Image Credit: Publicdomainpictures.net License: CC0 Public Domain

Nope.

Here’s why.

Philadelphia and OSHA issued new mask instructions last week. One has 💪 while the other is just kinda 😐

August 16, 2021 | by Eric B. Meyer

lost by Andrew Doane from the Noun Project

Spoiler alert: The place with hecka-cheesesteaks was flexing. Continue reading

Should religious objectors be excepted from mandatory vaccine requirements at work?

August 6, 2021 | by Eric B. Meyer

Arne Müseler / www.arne-mueseler.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons

I know this should be a “Monday” post, but, oh, what the heck. Continue reading

Who pays for COVID-19 tests when an employer requires regular testing?

August 4, 2021 | by Eric B. Meyer

https://www.theemployerhandbook.com/files/2021/08/piqsels.com-id-zbrrs-1024x683.jpg

Image Credit: Piqsels.com

Early last week, California and New York City required their workers to get a COVID-19 vaccination or mask up and submit to regular testing. On Thursday, the federal government issued the same edit to its employees. Continue reading

POLL RESULTS: Are businesses ready to mandate vaccinations? Not so fast…

July 30, 2021 | by Eric B. Meyer

Yesterday, I asked, “Will your business mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for employees?”

Fortunately, no one went as far into the deep end as the gentleman whom Chris Cuomo interviewed on CNN 🤯. Otherwise, the poll results were about as I expected.

Here they are:

All federal workers will need to vaccinate or undergo regular COVID-19 testing

July 29, 2021 | by Eric B. Meyer

Image by Michi-Nordlicht from Pixabay

On Tuesday, I told you how the Department of Veterans Administration planned to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all its employees.

Well, in today’s edition of COVID-19 safety one-upmanship, NBC News is reporting that “President Joe Biden is expected to announce [today] that federal workers will be required to be vaccinated for Covid or abide by stringent protocols, like regular testing and mask-wearing, according to administration officials.” Continue reading