JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Amid a spike in reported cases of COVID-19, more employers are enforcing rules to keep the virus at bay in the workplace.
Some are requiring proof of vaccination before allowing workers to go without a mask, and that has some asking whether it’s legal for employers to ask.
So, does your boss have the right to ask proof of a vaccination? According to one labor attorney, yes.
“There are no laws on that,” said Jacksonville attorney Tad Delegal. “Employers can require employees to be vaccinated, and there are some exceptions if there was a true concern about disabilities.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis has before said Florida will not require proof of vaccinations, which has been challenged in court, particularly by the cruise ship industry.
Delegal said some of his clients have questioned what employers were allowed to require earlier in the pandemic, but lately it hasn’t come up.
“Generally an employer can require these things,” he explained. “And I don’t think courts have been open to any challenges by any individuals who did not want to be vaccinated or not wanted to wear a mask.”