GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — They might not be eligible yet...but some employers in West Michigan are encouraging their employees to get the covid-19 vaccine....when it's available.
Grocery store chains, fast food restaurants and department stores are offering incentives to get the shot.
This week major employers like McDonalds, Dollar General, Trader Joes and others announced they would offer incentives for workers who receive the vaccine. Those incentives include a monetary bonus or paid time off.
We asked Grand Rapids employment attorney Brad Glazier if this practice was legal?
"It is legal, there is nothing in the law that would prohibit an employer from offering an employee an incentive to secure a vaccine," says Glazier.
Target released a statement about their policy saying:
"That's why we're providing up to four hours of pay to our hourly team members when they get their vaccines. We'll also provide all U.S. team members with free Lyft rides to get to and from their appointments if they need it. All of this on top of our work to ensure the vaccines remain free and easy for all team members, even though we don't plan to require it for them to come to work."
Glazier says that last part is key because employers could be challenged if they required the vaccine.
"It is fraught with some legal peril because if the employee says, 'No I have a health concern and I don't want to get the vaccine' the employer is not allowed to then ask the employee details about their medical condition because that could be an inquiry about a disability and that would be improper under the Americans with Disabilities Act," says Glazier.
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