What Employees Need to Know about the January 4, 2022 Vaccination Deadline for Private Sector Workers

What Employees Need to Know about the January 4, 2022 Vaccination Deadline for Private Sector Workers

The Biden administration announced on Thursday, November 4, 2021 that large companies have until January 4, 2021 to ensure that their workforces are fully vaccinated under a new coronavirus health measure that will cover 84 million private sector works.  

On November 4, 2021, the administration unveiled new emergency regulations for health care workers, including those at nursing homes caring for elderly and sick residents who are at high risk for infection.  All 17 million workers at health care facilities receiving either Medicare or Medicaid funding must be vaccinated by January 4, and do not have the option to be tested instead.

Under OSHA, exceptions to the vaccine mandate include medical and religious reasons.

So far, efforts to challenge vaccine mandates have fallen short.  The Supreme Court last Friday refused to block Maine’s requirement that health care workers be vaccinated against COVID, notwithstanding religious objections.  A federal judge in Boston denied efforts to overturn a vaccine mandated for 1,600 executive branch employees.