I applied to be a waiter in my local coffee shop. The owner is desperate to hire people since many of his former workers have found other positions. However, I did not get the job because I told the owner that I do not believe in vaccines and I do not intend to get the COVID-19 vaccination. I have a lot of experience and excellent references. Is it legal for him to not hire me? Don’t I have a constitutional right to refuse to get vaccinated?

The owner of the coffee shop is a private employer and has a right to ask his employees to be vaccinated as long as he does so in a non-discriminatory way. For example, it would be illegal if the owner only required Asian workers to be vaccinated, based on the false belief that they would more likely have the virus. The owner also has a duty to provide a safe workplace for his employees (see #3). He has decided that having employees get vaccinated is how he wants to ensure a safe and healthy environment. You would not qualify for an accommodations as they are only mandated in certain instances (see #2). At this time there is no federal mandate requiring the general population to get vaccinated, but there is authority that states can require vaccines to protect public health. Given this set of circumstances, I agree that you do have the right to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine but not the right to a job by a private employer who requires employees to get vaccinated.