Finding a “New Normal” With COVID-19 Vaccines

As of late April 2021, more than 50 percent of adults in the U.S. had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. This is welcomed progress, but the pandemic is not going away yet. In fact, the vaccination campaign may get more challenging as it now has to reach people who are more hesitant to take vaccines, writes Craig Colbrook, legislative counsel for the Illinois Office of Comptroller, in his July Illinois Bar Journal article, “Finding a ‘New Normal’ With COVID-19 Vaccines.” Employers—and the attorneys who represent them—can play an important role here, Colbrook suggests. If they properly respond to the vaccines, then they can protect their employees, return to a safe and productive workplace, and help the country end the pandemic. But there are risks, too. Colbrook explores the legal exposure that employers face regarding employee vaccination and lays out three options employers can take: 1) requiring employees to take a COVID-19 vaccine; 2) incentivizing employees to be vaccinated; or 3) encouraging employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Read more in the June issue of the Illinois Bar Journal.