The Biden administration’s highly anticipated vaccine mandate rule for private-sector employers will allow businesses to force workers who refuse to get the Covid-19 shot to pay for required weekly tests and masks, two sources familiar with the matter said.
The emergency rule, which will apply to companies with at least 100 employees and is expected to be released [soon], will give employers the option of paying for testing and masks for unvaccinated workers or compelling those employees to foot the bill themselves, according to the sources, who requested anonymity because they didn’t have approval to discuss the rulemaking.
Employers will be required to absorb testing and mask costs in cases where a worker qualifies for an exemption to vaccination under federal law, the sources said. For instance, employers could be required to finance testing and masks for a worker who is entitled to a religious exemption or to an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The emergency rule, being developed by the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, remains under consideration at the White House’s regulatory office.
