I read recently that Kroger, who runs a grocery store chain, has joined with other retailers in paying employees who receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The $100 payment should serve as an incentive for employees to roll up their sleeves. There is an ongoing debate whether employers can or should mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for their employees. The state of play now is that employers are encouraging, but not requiring vaccines, as mandating vaccines creates legal exposure for employers. For example, if you require that an employee is vaccinated against the worker’s wishes, and a complication occurs, is the employer responsible? Can an employee be disciplined or terminated for failure to vaccinate if there are no vaccines available within a reasonable distance? And mandating vaccinations may be complicated when workers are unionized. The right to refuse treatment is a bedrock medical ethical principle that I support. For example, if I advise an individual with acute appendi
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