The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on Tuesday sent a rule that would require covered businesses to mandate that workers be vaccinated for COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing to the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for a final review, marking quick progress toward finalizing the mandate.
The regulatory review process, which can sometimes take months, has been moved in an expedited manner at the request of the White House.
Once OIRA completes its review of the rule, which is known as an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), OSHA could publish it any day. The ETS could take effect immediately upon publication, but it is currently unknown whether the rule allows time for businesses to comply before the ETS takes effect.
President Biden in September announced an update to the administration’s COVID-19 action plan, which included mandating that businesses with more than 100 employees require their employees to receive COVID-19 vaccinations or undergo weekly testing.
Covered employers would also have to give workers paid time off to receive vaccinations or to recover from any side effects, according to the plan. Noncompliance fines may be up to $14,000 per violation.
