OSHA Enacts Private Employer Vaccine Mandate

Yesterday, November 4, 2021, OSHA announced a new Emergency Temporary Standard on Vaccination and Testing. Here is a brief overview of what you need to know:

• Employers with 100 or more employees:

  • must implement a mandatory vaccination policy or adopt a policy requiring unvaccinated workers to undergo weekly testing and wear a face covering at work.

  • must provide paid time for workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine and ensure workers have paid sick leave to recover from any side effects that prevent them from working.

  • must comply with most provisions by December 5, 2021, and comply with the testing requirement by January 4, 2022. Learn more about compliance dates here.

• Businesses that don’t comply may face significant OSHA fines including up to $13,653 for each violation.

What does this mean for employers:

• Businesses should immediately begin preparing written policies, communications, and vaccine record collection.

• Businesses with less than 100 employees should be considering similar actions as many large companies will pass on these requirements to their subcontractors and service providers.

If you have any questions on how this new rule affects you or your business please don’t hesitate to reach out: info@barbascremer.com. We are here to help you address the day to day questions of balancing business concerns, the law, and health and safety.