In addition, all employees of the city's Metro Department must adhere to specific Nashville occupational health standards. This includes participating in injury and illness prevention programs and reporting hazardous workplace conditions to their supervisors. Employees also have access to Nashville occupational health services, including the ability to contact their department's occupational safety and health staff if they feel uncomfortable reporting issues directly to their supervisors.
Many of the current Nashville occupational health standards are based on the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Act, which was enacted in 1972. This set of laws outlines the rules employers in the state are obligated to adhere to.
In November of 2021, state officials also addressed employment issues created by the COVID-19 pandemic by passing Tennessee Act No. 6 (previously HB9077). This new law prohibits state employers, educational institutions, and private businesses from requiring proof of vaccination as a condition of employment. In addition, it also prohibits employers from firing or discriminating against an employee based on their vaccination status.
Act No. 6 creates a new exception to Tennessee's "Employment at Will" doctrine, which states that employers are free to terminate employees at any time, for any reason, or for no reason at all, without fear of legal liability. Previously, the doctrine provided some exceptions, such as prohibiting discrimination or termination due to an employee being called to jury duty, military duty, voting in elections, filing a worker's compensation claim, and other similar issues.
