WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18) introduced the Employee Privacy Act to prohibit employers from inquiring about an employee’s vaccination status.

“Providing equal work opportunities means that employees are not discriminated against based on the decisions they make for themselves,” Rep. Mast said. “However, the last few months have shown us a new form of discrimination: prejudice against the unvaccinated.  Employment should be based on merits and not on some political objective that tramples on the privacy of employees.”

The Employee Privacy Act would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to make it unlawful to inquire about the vaccination status of any current or prospective employee.  Under this provision, any violating employer will be subject to a standard workplace discrimination fine, starting at $5,000.

Under current federal law, employers generally cannot discriminate against employees based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, military service, bankruptcy or bad debts, genetic information, or citizenship status.  The Employee Privacy Act would treat vaccine status in the same manner and outlaw such discrimination.

The bill is cosponsored by nine Members of Congress: Clay Higgins (LA-03), Bill Posey (FL-08), Louie Gohmert (TX-01), Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Mary Miller (IL-15), Tom Tiffany (WI-07), Bob Good (VA-05), Jody Hice (GA-10) and Brian Babin (TX-36)

The full text of the legislation can be viewed here. 

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