Companies are beginning to bring employees back to the office after more than a year of remote work. But as COVID-19 vaccination rates slow and the Delta variant spreads, a return to work may mean adjusting to a new normal.
Before welcoming you back, your employer may ask you for proof of vaccination. That’s legal, though there is a common misconception that it violates the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a federal health privacy law.
Diane Hoffmann, the founder and director of the Maryland Healthcare Ethics Committee Network, said HIPAA forbids your employer from asking your physician for your medical records.
“Your employer could, though, ask you for proof of vaccination, even though they couldn’t ask your healthcare provider for that information,” she said.
As for vaccine mandates, that isn’t something Hoffmann necessarily recommends for employers outside the medical field.
