HARRISBURG, Pa. — Working from home has become the new normal for most people.
But with the population getting vaccinated, now companies are faced with a dilemma: whether or not they should bring employees back to the office.
“This is a tough situation, it’s happening more and more," said Larry Weisberg from Weisberg Cummings, P.C.
Experts say the first thing you should do is communicate your concerns with your employer.
“They may be able to ask their employer if there’s an opportunity to continue working from home," said Jeremy Donham from Donham Law.
But if there’s not an opportunity, can companies require its employees to come back?
“If you just feel like it’s something you don’t feel comfortable going back to work for, unfortunately there’s really no general blanket protection to keep you from having to go back to work," said Weisberg.
However, there are some limited protections.
“If you have a disabling condition where your doctors, for instance, would say that it’s unsafe for you to come back to work because of risks due to Covid-19 or things like that, you may be able to talk to your employer about whether there’s a reasonable accommodation that would allow you to go back to work," said Weisberg.
Employers will also be allowed to ask you if you’ve been vaccinated or ask to show proof of vaccination.
“The occupational safety and health act passed guidance related to covid-19 which permits the employers to ask on that question about vaccinations specifically," said Leslie Wireback from the Lancaster Society for HR management.