MADISON, Wis. â As we wait to hear if or when Dane Countyâs mask mandate will be lifted, many business owners are trying to decide whether they will follow the CDC guidance or continue to require customers to wear masks.
They will either have to trust that everyone who comes in without a mask is vaccinated, or keep some restrictions in place knowing that the virus is still out there and we havenât reached herd immunity yet.
âBusinesses have already required shirts and shoes for quite some time. And sometimes other requirements as well. We are just more used to those. Those have been in place for so long,â said Sarah Kissel, an employment lawyer at Scholz Nonprofit Law LLC.
She said similarly to the âno shoes, no serviceâ rule at most businesses, some could choose to continue to require masks, even after the county removes its mandate.
âIf they decided that for the safety of the people that work there, for the safety of the people who are coming in to enjoy their services, that they require this extra protection, there is nothing out there at this point restricting them from doing so,â said Kissel.
She said many of her clients are trying to find the line between safety and getting back to business. But with the guidance changing so often, she said that line is a moving target.
âI wouldnât be surprised to see airlines have greater requirements and restrictions. But boy, itâs really going to be interesting to see how businesses decide to navigate that,â said Kissel.
With Dane Countyâs masking rules still in place, even though stores like Target nationally got rid of the mask policy for vaccinated individuals, theyâre still required here.
But even once the mandate is gone, just like many stadiums are asking for vaccination proof in order to enter, businesses can also ask if youâre vaccinated.
âWhile it may seem like an invasion of privacy asking someone whoâs coming to dine at a restaurant, or use a business in some other means, whether theyâve been vaccinated, I canât think of any reason why you could not,â said Kissel. âBecause the option still lies with the client, the potential customer, to say, âI would like to share this informationâ or âIt is not worth it to me to share this information in order to have these services.ââ
Public Health Madison and Dane County is expected to release updated guidance about its mask policy on Tuesday. Many counties in Wisconsin have already dropped their mask requirements.
COPYRIGHT 2021 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.