Biden sets Jan. 4 deadline for mandatory worker vaccinations for larger private employers

The Biden administration announced Thursday the deadline for a new vaccine mandate rule that could affect 100 million Americans.

The federal regulation comes from the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Biden announced the mandate in September, but this week OSHA released details of the rule, most notably that businesses with 100 or more employees must ensure their workers are vaccinated or require weekly COVID testing by Jan. 4.

OSHA is also requiring that employers make unvaccinated employees wear masks while at work or when in a vehicle with another person for work purposes.

“The Administration has previously implemented policies requiring millions of federal employees and federal contractors to be fully vaccinated. To make it easy for businesses and workers to comply, the Administration is announcing today that the deadline for workers to receive their shots will be the same for the OSHA rule, the CMS rule, and the previously-announced federal contractor vaccination requirement,” the White House said Thursday. “Across all three requirements, workers will need to have the necessary shots to be fully vaccinated – either two doses of Pfizer or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson – no later than January 4, 2022.”

The mandate raises concerns that a worker shortage crisis across the country will accelerate as those who decide not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine are forced out or decide to leave their jobs.