Is It Legal For Minnesota Businesses To Require That Workers Be Vaccinated?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- With the FDA's full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, President Joe Biden is urging employers, as well as state and local leaders across the country, to require that workers be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The president's plea got us wondering: Is it legal for businesses in Minnesota to mandate that workers get vaccinated? Yes, it is.
Already, the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic are requiring staff (and students) to be vaccinated. Additionally, Gov. Tim Walz is mandating that all state employees need to show proof of vaccination or undergo regular COVID-19 testing.
RELATED: Downtown Minneapolis Cafe To Require Proof Of Vaccination, Negative Test To Dine Inside
Soon, vaccine mandates could be seen more widely for customers at bars and restaurants. At least one Minneapolis business, Hark's Cafe, is requiring that customers be vaccinated to eat indoors. Meanwhile, First Avenue is also mandating that concert-goers to be vaccinated to see shows at the iconic downtown venue.
Jill Hasday, a law professor at the University of Minnesota, thinks vaccine mandates will become more prevalent in businesses.
"As more employers have vaccine mandates that creates more vaccine mandates in the sense of...you might not want to be the first one, but when there's a wave of them, it's easier to join that wave," she said.
Since it's legal for businesses to require that workers be vaccinated, it's also legal for employers to fire workers who choose not to get vaccinated.
According to Hasday, since most people in American are "at will" employees, they can legally be fired for any reason, or no reason at all.