Employers in the private sector will have two months to ensure their workers are fully vaccinated or tested weekly under a new federal regulation detailed [November 4] that will affect more than two-thirds of the country’s workforce.
Any employer failing to meet the requirements by Jan. 4 could face nearly $14,000 in fines for each employee who isn’t in compliance, a senior administration official said. Employees who are not fully vaccinated will be responsible for covering the cost of their own weekly testing.
Employers will be required to provide paid time off for workers to get vaccinated and recover from any side effects starting Dec. 5, the same day when unvaccinated employees will need to wear masks in the workplace.
The order targeting the private sector has already drawn threats of lawsuits from dozens of Republican attorneys general and caused some businesses to raise concerns about finding enough vaccinated workers in an already tight job market.
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While 70 percent of adults are already fully vaccinated, OSHA estimates the requirement would prevent over 250,000 hospitalizations during the first six months and save thousands of lives, a senior administration official said.
