Elena J. Voss
Elena J. Voss

Elena J. Voss currently serves as Associate General Counsel for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ms. Voss counsels the institution on a variety of legal matters including employment law, union-management relations, benefits, immigration, and contracts. Any opinions expressed herein are her own.

Prior to joining the Museum, Ms. Voss served as Corporate Counsel at Arrow Electronics. Previously, she counseled a variety of corporate clients as a member of the labor and employment practice groups of two leading law firms, Jones Day and Proskauer Rose. Ms. Voss received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School and a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University.

Columns by Elena J. Voss
The Justice Department’s OLC Thinks Your Company Can Mandate the COVID-19 Vaccine, Even If Not Fully Approved

Elena J. Voss, associate general counsel at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and NYU Law professor Samuel Estreicher, dissect an opinion by the Office of Legal Counsel that squarely answers in the negative the question whether the Emergency Use Authorization status of COVID-19 vaccines precludes public or private entities from mandating those vaccines. Ms. Voss and Professor Estreicher point out that while the OLC opinion is neither binding nor authoritative, it is well-reasoned and indicative of the Biden administration’s view on this topic and can provide some assurance to employers who wish to implement a vaccine mandate.

The Post-Pandemic Workplace

NYU law professor Samuel Estreicher and Elena J. Voss, associate general counsel for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, provide a roadmap of how employers can ready their workplaces for post-pandemic life. Professor Estreicher and Ms. Voss describe the importance of employers determining their workplace vision, communicating that vision to employees, defining what a “flexible” workplace means, setting clear policies with definitive maximums and minimums.