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HR in COVID: Vaccine Can Be Required by Jobsite ContractorsShare this on Facebook

D. Albert Brannen and A. Kevin Troutman—partners at Fisher Phillips, a prominent workforce law firm based in Atlanta—told contractors at a recent webinar that they would be well within their legal rights to compel workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Hosted by Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), the lawyers compared such a requirement to existing rules for frontline healthcare workers that mandates flu shots to ensure a safe workplace.

They also recommended that contractors set up jobsite vaccination programs for workers during work hours and free of charge to ensure high participation.

“We are a critical industry and we need to communicate that to our employees, as an explanation of why we expect you to take a vaccination when we make it available,” Brannen told ConstructionDive. “We do have a right to be aggressive, to keep the job flowing,”

The webinar was held last Wednesday, the day before emergency authorization was expected to be granted for emergency use of the COVID-19 vaccine.

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