Under upcoming rule, companies with more than 100 employees must require vaccinations or weekly testing
resident Joe Biden announced Sept. 9 a series of proposals to combat the COVID-19 pandemic more aggressively, including plans for a new rule requiring employers with 100 or more employees to mandate that their workers be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing.
The president also signed orders stipulating that most federal employees and federal contractors, as well as most health care workers across the country, be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Biden said the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is developing an emergency temporary standard directed at private-sector businesses with 100 or more employees that is estimated to impact over 80 million workers.
The employers will also have to give workers paid time off to get vaccinated or recover from any side effects of getting vaccinated. Employers that don’t comply with the vaccine mandate or paid-time-off requirement can face fines of up to $14,000 per violation. The rule will be issued in the coming weeks.
Biden also signed an executive order requiring most federal employees and federal contractors to get the COVID-19 vaccine, removing the option to instead undergo regular testing.
Federal employees and contractors will have about 75 days to get fully vaccinated from the time the executive order is signed, officials said. The vaccine requirement will include exemptions for individuals with disabilities and for those who refuse the vaccination on religious grounds.
Health care workers in most settings that receive Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement are also covered under the executive order, applying to approximately 50,000 providers and covering about 17 million health care workers across the country.
In all, the new mandates cover about 100 million workers, or two-thirds of all workers in the U.S., officials said.
The executive orders and administration response come as the country is experiencing a rise in COVID-19 infections. The U.S. is recording roughly 150,000 new cases of the virus and about 1,500 fatalities a day, up from an average of 300 deaths each day just a few months ago. There are around 80 million Americans eligible to be vaccinated who have not yet gotten their first shot.
“We can and we will turn the tide on COVID-19,” Biden said. “These measures will take time. But if we implement these measures, I believe that in the months ahead we can reduce the number of unvaccinated [individuals], decrease hospitalizations and deaths, and keep businesses open. We will protect vaccinated workers from unvaccinated co-workers.”
Biden noted that some of the biggest companies, including United Airlines and Tyson Foods, are already requiring vaccination for all employees.
“Many of us are frustrated with the 80 million people who are still not vaccinated,” he said. “My message to the unvaccinated: What more do you need to see? We’ve made vaccinations free, safe and convenient. We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin.”
