- State the Policy to the Applicant:
An easy way to address whether an applicant is vaccinated is to make a blanket statement in the hiring process that your company requires employees to be vaccinated as a condition of employment, subject to accommodation.
– Sample language: “If you are hired, we will require you to prove that you have received the COVID-19 vaccine or have a valid religious or medical reason not to be vaccinated.”
- Ask on the Application:
To avoid any risky follow-up questions that could violate state or federal laws (or to avoid being wrongly accused of making such inappropriate inquiries), you can include the question on your job application. This way, applicants simply check a box with “yes” or “no” as to whether they are vaccinated and there’s no mistaking what was asked about.
– Sample language: “We require all employees to be vaccinated. Are you vaccinated or have a valid medical or religious exemption from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine? Yes or No.”
- Ask the Applicant in the Interview:
Employers may opt to ask applicants directly during the interview process whether they are vaccinated. This option is the riskiest because discussion about vaccines can quickly result in the applicant revealing disability-related information to the employer.
