Vaccinations against COVID, or weekly testing of unvaccinated workers, would be required of U.S. companies with more than 100 employees under a proposal announced by President Biden on Sept. 9.
Under the proposed rule, companies with 100 or more workers would have to require that every employee either be vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID tests.
The directive would be issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration is drafting an emergency temporary standard to implement the mandate. It would be considered part of OSHA’s mission to ensure workplace safety.
The vaccine directive was the most sweeping policy to be announced by the federal government to date. Other measures include requiring all federal employees, and employees of contractors doing business with the government, to be vaccinated.
The new regulation is likely to face pushbacks and even lawsuits, as it conflicts with the directives of several state governors forbidding vaccine mandates.
