Manufacturers in Pennsylvania, and around the world, faced setbacks amidst the pandemic shutdown. Beyond production delays, manufacturers continue to mitigate COVID-19 outbreaks and maintain safe workplaces. With COVID-19 vaccinations now available to all PA adults, some manufacturers may want to require workers to get vaccinated to get back to business as usual. Can PA manufacturers mandate COVID-19 vaccination?On April 14, 2021, Gross McGinley Partner Loren L. Speziale provided COVID-19 vaccination legal guidance to manufacturers as part of a Manufacturers Resource Center webinar entitled “Keeping It Legal: A Manufacturer’s Guide to COVID-19 Vaccination Mandates.” She was joined by medical leaders from St. Luke’s University Health Network and Lehigh Valley Health Network for a panel discussion following her presentation. Loren’s presentation addressed: Mandates – can you legally require employees to get vaccinated? Privacy laws, reasonable accommodations and exemptions – creating policies and protocols that meet EEOC, ADA and other employment law standards Employer and employee consequences – understanding litigation risks, employer liability and legality Accessibility – can you offer onsite vaccinations? Incentive programs – what’s permissible? What’s not?Employers learned about valuable resources to help create a lawful vaccination strategy for their manufacturing organizations. Additionally, Loren highlighted elements of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021, which extended the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA), providing paid sick leave for employees opting to get vaccinated. Missed the event? Watch the full webinar here, recorded on Zoom.