The White House issued a plan Thursday, Sept 9, 2021, with several new policies designed to reduce the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19). While we await plan details, which were not specified in the White House policy document, there are some notable guidelines of which employers and employees should be aware:
Companies with 100 or more employees will be required to ensure their employees are vaccinated or test negative for COVID-19 at least once a week.
Employers must provide employees paid time off to get vaccinated and to recover from any side effects.
The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will issue an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to implement this requirement.
All contractors that do business with the federal government must get vaccinated.
Employees of health care facilities that receive Medicare of Medicaid funding must be completely vaccinated.
Employees in Head Start programs must be completely vaccinated.
New COVID Rules Impact on Business
These new and quickly developing requirements are sure to impact employers and employees alike; however, specifics are still being developed and are not expected to be released for 30 days or more.
Further, exemptions for medical or religious reasons and how to claim those exemptions are not clearly included or excluded.
The White House document can be found at https://www.whitehouse.gov/covidplan/
BHMK, Your Legal Guide Through COVID
If you have questions regarding how the new standards may impact you or your business, the attorneys at BHMK have the experience and knowledge to help provide guidance during these uncertain times.
** This content is not medical or legal advice. For legal advice call the lawyers at BHMK.
*** COVID information changes daily, the video in this post was created months prior to the White House Plan issued in September. Please contact BHMK for up-to-date information and legal advice.
