Monday morning musings for workplace watchers

Shot Mandate Crossfire | What Safety Advocates Want

Chris Marr: The pushback against President Joe Biden’s workplace vaccine requirements continues to play out, not only via lawsuits but also in state legislation aimed at limiting employers’ ability to mandate Covid-19 immunization.

Ohio and South Carolina lawmakers could be close to joining nearly a dozen other states that have set legal limits for on-the-job shot requirements. Among those, the Montana and Tennessee legislatures have banned vaccine mandates as a condition of employment, while counterparts from Florida to North Dakota have required employers to offer broad exemptions or accommodations for employees.

The quickly changing legal landscape—with states passing new restrictions while courts consider whether a trio of federal vaccine policies can take effect—only adds to the turmoil for employers trying to operate safe workplaces during the pandemic.

Federal courts have temporarily blocked enforcement of the Biden administration’s vaccine requirements applying to federal contractors and health-care employers, plus the shot-or-test mandate for other large employers. On the other side of the coin, a handful of state and local governments are requiring some private-sector employers to mandate vaccines, such as the policy announced last week in New York City.

“It’s very confusing for employers right now,” said Denise Blommel, an Arizona employment attorney who has...

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