Florida’s New Law Restricting Employer Vaccine Mandates

Dee Anna Hays | Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.

Dee Anna Hays is Board Certified in labor and employment law by the Florida Bar. She has been representing employers in all aspects of labor and employment law compliance and litigation for over 12 years. As a result, Dee Anna understands the legal issues as well as the practical issues confronting management. She enjoys counseling clients to solve tough issues and ardently defends them when necessary.

A growing portion of Dee Anna’s practice focuses on occupational safety and health issues. She litigates OSHA cases and represents employers during government inspections and investigations. Dee Anna also frequently guides employers in handling workplace fatalities and other severe accidents. Dee Anna represents employers in a wide range of industries, including healthcare, retail, construction, technology, electrical utilities, and not-for-profit. She advocates in federal and state courts and before numerous government agencies — including the DOL, EEOC, OSHA, NLRB, OFCCP, HHS, and FCHR. On a regular basis, Dee Anna also handles handbook and compliance reviews on a national scale for large employers to proactively minimize liability (including privileged wage and hour and safety audits).

Dee Anna serves as the Director of Legislative Affairs for HR Tampa (SHRM) and is a past co-chair of the Labor & Employment Law Section of the Hillsborough County Bar Association. She is a nationally recognized speaker and author on labor and employment law issues. Dee Anna has a 4-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter. When she isn’t chasing her toddlers around Tampa Bay, she enjoys running in trail races. Her favorite distance is the half-marathon.

Phillip Russell | Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.

Phillip Russell is Board Certified in labor and employment law by the Florida Bar. He is a practical labor and employment lawyer who represents businesses in a wide range of labor and employment law matters, including workplace safety and health (OSHA), traditional labor relations (staying union-free), unfair competition and trade secrets litigation, employment litigation defense, and advising and counseling employers on workplace legal compliance issues.

Phillip represents clients in construction, staffing, technology, manufacturing, banking, and other industries. He is also a nationally recognized speaker and author on labor and employment law issues. Phillip’s first job was bagging groceries and stocking shelves in his family’s grocery store. As a teenager, he learned the value of hard work and business. His grandfather took him to business meetings and Phillip saw first-hand the challenges of managing a business and employees. But he also saw the true value in positive employee relations. Now, Phillip represents and protects each of his clients, large or small, as if they were his family’s grocery business – with enthusiasm, dedication, and a strong belief that lawsuits, government investigations, and unions are not good for business or employees.

In 2015 Phillip celebrated his 20th year of practicing law. He is a peer-review AV-Preeminent® Rated Attorney (by Martindale-Hubbell), rated among the top 5% of lawyers by Florida Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), and is listed in Best Lawyers® by U.S. News and World Report. He earned his law degree from Stetson University and has B.S. Management and M.S. Economics degrees from Georgia Tech.

Phillip is a Ramblin Wreck from Georgia Tech who bleeds White and Gold! He is also an avid spear gun hunter and SCUBA diver who enjoys any time on or under the Gulf of Mexico or any place he can dive. Phillip loves living Floridays in the sunshine and saltwater where he boats, fishes, and plays. He is a CrossFit athlete who enjoys adventure and obstacle course races despite the constant nagging of middle-aged muscles and joints. Phillip is a ridiculous Parrothead who is only growing older, but not up!

1. What is the status of Florida’s new anti-vaccine mandate laws? | 10:00 am – 10:10 am
2. Private employers – COVID-19 vaccine mandate restrictions | 10:10 am – 10:20 am

a) Coverage
b) Exemptions
c) Complaints, enforcement, and fines
d) Public records protection

3. Public employers – COVID-19 vaccine mandate prohibition | 10:20 am – 10:30 am
4. Federal conflicts – OSHA ETS, CMS, and federal contractor mandates | 10:30 am – 10:40 am

a) Florida State Plan for OSH

5. Action Items | 10:40 am -10:50 am
6. Resources | 10:50 am – 11:00 am