Does the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act prohibit an employer from requiring a workforce member to disclose whether they have received a COVID-19 vaccine to the employer, clients, or other parties?
No. The privacy rule does not apply to employment records. Generally, the privacy rule does not regulate what information can be requested from employees as part of the terms and conditions of employment that an employer may impose on its workforce. In addition, federal anti-discrimination laws do not prevent an employer from choosing to require that all employees physically entering the workplace be vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide documentation or other confirmation that they have met this requirement, subject to reasonable accommodation provisions and other equal employment opportunity considerations. Documentation or other confirmation of vaccination, however, must be kept confidential and stored separately from the employee’s personnel files under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).