US mandates vaccines or tests for big companies by January 2022

Millions of Americans who work at companies with 100 or more employees will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 4 or get tested for the virus weekly under government rules that took effect recently.

Those new requirements will apply to about 84 million workers at medium and large businesses. It’s not totally clear how many people in these groups are not vaccinated. People who work in nursing homes will receive money from Medicare and Medicaid, and also those working in hospitals and other facilities, tougher rules will apply for them.

OSHA left open the possibility of expanding the requirement to smaller businesses.

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President Biden said he would have prefered not to come up with those new rules but today there’s a lot of people unvaccinated around the country.

Vaccines or tests are mandatory for big companies

OSHA has less inspectors than they might need to oversee millions of workers in different workplaces, but the agency said they will respond. The release of the rules followed weeks of regulatory review and meetings with business groups, labor unions and others.

These rules are made to protect workers from health hazard 

The rules set up potential legal battles along partisan lines between states and the federal government. Senate Republicans launched a petition to force a vote to overturn the vaccine mandate, but with Democrats controlling the chamber, the effort is nearly certain to fail.

The rules will require workers to receive either two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by Jan. 4, the other alternative is to be tested weekly. Employees testing positive must be removed from the workplace.

Companies won’t be required to provide or pay

Organizations won’t be required to pay. Companies just need to give paid time off for employees to get the shots and sick leave to recover from side effects that prevent them from working. Requirements for masks and paid time off for shots take effect Dec. 5.

Employers covered by the requirements must verify their workers’ vaccination status by checking documents such as CDC vaccination cards, records from doctors or even an employee’s own signed declaration.

Employers covered by the requirements must verify their workers’ vaccination status by checking different documents such as CDC vaccination cards, records from doctors or pharmacies.

Something important to mention is that companies are worried because of employees who are hesitating about getting vaccinated, they might quit and their workforces will be reduced. 

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