Mandatory Masks, Vaccines, and Employment

Mandatory Masks, Vaccines, and Employment: Healthcare Workers and Legal Issues

While setting aside the emergency use-authorized vaccines, it is generally settled law that employees may be required to submit to certain types of vaccination protocols as a condition to employment. Where that is different in this case, is the settled law came through lawsuits involving FDA-approved drugs, not emergency use-authorized drugs. Why people in different forms of government and business are unsure of what to do, is likely because the law and enforceability of vaccine mandates are unclear because we have never approached the concept of mandating the use of emergency use products.

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First Responders and Essential Front-Line Workers

COVID-19 Coronavirus Amendments to Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission Rules of Practice

In response to COVID-19 Coronavirus, the Illinois Workers Compensation Commission (IWCC) held a recent meeting in which Chairman Michael J. Brennan announced amendments to the Commission’s Rules of Practice. The amendments identify who are included as first responders or essential front-line workers, who receive a rebuttable presumption that claims related to COVID-19 Coronavirus are causally connected to the scope of their employment for purposes of obtaining workers compensation benefits.

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