What President Biden’s vaccine mandate means for employers

Editor’s note: On Nov. 4, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), which requires private employers with 100 or more employees to ensure employees are either fully vaccinated or take a COVID-19 test weekly and wear a mask. In January, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked OSHA’s ETS. This was a 6-3 decision. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ vaccine mandate for healthcare workers will still go into effect. We’ll provide updates on this if there are any changes.

Recently, the White House ordered all federal workers and contractors to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Now, the government is mandating a similar requirement on private employers. Soon, employers with 100 or more employees will need to adapt their vaccine policies to comply with these new rules. Specifics of the mandate are still being drafted; however, these requirements will take effect quickly once they’re announced.

In our September bulletin, our experts provide an overview of the latest vaccination mandate, including its scope and how it may affect your business, and outline steps employers can take now to start preparing to comply with the new rules.