Online sellers may be wondering if they can offer their employees vaccination incentives and if they can request documentation of vaccination.
The National Retail Federation (NRF) issued the following statement from Edwin Egee, Vice President of Government Relations and Workforce Development, in response to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission releasing updated COVID-19 vaccination guidance.
“Retailers have consistently recommended that employees and customers get vaccinated against COVID-19, barring a disability or religious-based objection. To date, half of the United States population has been fully vaccinated. Nearly four months ago, NRF and other trade associations petitioned the EEOC to issue guidance providing clarification on the extent to which employers may offer their employees incentives to vaccinate.
“The National Retail Federation is pleased the EEOC has finally acted and clarified that nothing in federal law prevents an employer from offering a vaccination incentive to an employee, provided the employee receives the vaccination from a third party (e.g., pharmacy, health care provider or public clinic). Further, employers may request these employees provide documentation or other confirmation of vaccination.”
If you have employees, you should check with your own legal advisor. The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, you can find its updated COVID-19 guidance on the EEOC.gov website.
