A new theme to explore how emergent law interacts with your daily life.
COVID-19 changed much, and the law is no different. One of the earliest changes happened in the Courthouses with a series of rules like mask mandates, limiting the number of people that can be in a courtroom, and even relocating jury trials to large public venues to ensure adequate social distancing.
Today, we are seeing more solid rules emerge, governing state and federal facilities and working their way down to municipal events and public schools. Employers are grappling with the new mandates announced by the President, that all employers with more than 100 employees require their employees to get vaccinated. Curiously, we have yet to see a timetable or a plan for implementation. It remains rhetoric.
This leaves all of us with real questions, like:
What is required of me?
Can I be fined, imprisoned or punished for my decisions on masking or vaccination?
Can my employer require me to get vaccinated?
Can my employer demand I tell him whether I am vaccinated?
Has any of this been decided in court?
Lawyers are always fielding questions, and in normal times the subject matter varies. However, occasionally events converge and we end up discussing the same topic. That's why I'm starting this string of blog posts to address legal issues related to COVID-19.
The first theme isn't surprising. How are employees to respond to an employer that demands to know your vaccine status, that demands you get vaccinated, or even employers that threaten termination for non-compliance. These posts are not long, meaning the issue will be broken into multiple posts. From there, we can discuss masks, the law making process, constitutional concerns, and even how citizens can respond if they feel compelled to do so.
NOTICE: As always, these thoughts are the author's, alone. This post is a response to a general topic and is not legal advice for anyone's individual situation. All matters are unique and if you have a legal question I advise you seek out your own independent legal advice.
Copyright © 2021 Pilcher Law Firm, Prof. L.L.C.