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As a vaccine for COVID-19 soon becomes available to those living in the United States, national media sought out Levine & Levine Criminal Defense Attorney Anastase Markou about whether business employers can require their employees to get the vaccine when it becomes readily available.
In Michigan, Markou was interviewed by WILX, in Lansing, and WNEM, in Flint, about the potential for the vaccine to be a major factor in workplace health and safety. Additionally, Markou was featured on KLFY-TV in Lafayette, Georgia; WMAZ-TV in Macon, Georgia; and KAUZ-TV in Wichita Falls, Texas
“The federal law requires employers to provide safe and healthy work environments for every employee. Absolutely required under OSHA. That means in certain types of environments, they’re going to have to require employees to take the vaccine,” Markou said during his media interviews.
Markou said he expects the vaccine will be mandatory in the medical field and jobs with a lot of personal interaction, like the restaurant industry.
“It sounds like it’s just legal battles waiting to happen. It’s going to have to be. This is really going to push the limits of the law on what OSHA requires employers to do and it’s going to push the law on what kinds of exceptions employees are allowed to use,” Markou said.