Since the COVID-19 vaccination was made available to the public in late 2020, the topic of vaccination has been widely discussed across the country including in the daily news, by governments and agencies, in the courts, in communities, and in the workplace. From the very beginning, federal, state, and local governments/agencies have engaged in campaigns to encourage vaccination; passed laws mandating vaccination in the workplace, public places, government buildings, and elsewhere; and incentivized vaccination. Indeed, President Biden’s Administration made COVID-19 vaccination a predominant part of its national strategy to combat the pandemic. 

Since COVID-19 vaccine distribution began in December 2020, millions of people across the United States have been vaccinated.  Still, a large percentage of people remain unvaccinated, which creates challenges for employers who view the COVID-19 vaccine as a key protective measure for maintaining a safe and healthy workplace.

Drug testing in the workplace, especially in the manufacturing industry, has become a common part of pre-employment screening and health/safety measures in the workplace, which may include random, post-accident, and reasonable-suspicion testing.