OSHA Issues Emergency Temporary Standard Requiring COVID-19 Vaccination And Testing For Certain Employers

On November 5, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) published its Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”), 86 Fed. Reg. 61402, which requires employers with a total of 100 or more employees to develop, implement and enforce a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy or choose to subject employees who decline the vaccine to weekly testing.

The ETS contains the following seminal provisions:

  • When counting employees to determine whether the 100 employee requirement is met, part-time and full-time employees count, but independent contractors do not.
  • The vaccine mandate does not apply to employees who do not report to a workplace where other individuals are present, work completely remotely, or work exclusively outdoors.
  • The deadline for employees to receive their final vaccine is January 4, 2022. Alternatively, employers may (but are not required to) permit employees who opt out of the vaccine requirement to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing (for those who are in the office at least once a week) and wear a face mask while indoors and when occupying a vehicle with another person for work purposes. Unvaccinated employees who report to work after a period of seven (7) or more days away from the workplace must also undergo testing within seven (7) days prior to returning to the workplace. The ETS requires employers to maintain records of such test results.
  • Employers that choose to adopt the weekly testing option may not require an employee who tests positive for COVID-19 or has been diagnosed with COVID-19 by a licensed healthcare provider to undergo COVID-19 testing for ninety (90) days following the date of their positive test or diagnosis.
  • The ETS does not require employers to pay for testing, subject to the requirements of other laws, regulations or collective bargaining agreements. Employers are also permitted to voluntarily assume testing costs.
  • The ETS requires employers to determine the vaccination status of each employee and secure proof of vaccination from those employees who are partially or fully vaccinated. Significantly, employers must maintain a roster of each employee’s vaccination status indicating whether each employee is fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, not fully vaccinated because of a medical or religious accommodation, or not fully vaccinated because they have not provided acceptable proof of their vaccination status.
  • Acceptable forms of vaccination proof include: (1) the record of immunization from a healthcare provider or pharmacy; (2) a copy of the U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card; (3) a copy of medical records documenting the vaccination; (4) a copy of immunization records from a public health, state or tribal immunization information system; or (5) a copy of another official documentation that contains the type of vaccine administered, date(s) of administration and the name of the healthcare professional(s) or clinic site(s) administering the vaccine(s). If an employee is unable to produce one of the above forms of proof, the employer may accept a signed attestation that contains the required language set forth by the ETS, which includes, but is not limited to, a statement that false information may be subject to criminal penalties.
  • Employers must develop and distribute: (1) a written COVID-19 vaccination policy; (2) the CDC document, “Key Things to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines”; (3) information about protection against discrimination and retaliation; and (4) information regarding the laws that provide for criminal penalties for knowingly supplying false statements or documentation.
  • Employers must allow employees up to four (4) hours of paid time off to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine, which is separate and apart from any leave that the employee has already accrued, including sick or vacation leave.
  • Further, employers must also provide “reasonable time” and paid sick leave to allow employees to recover from any adverse effects of the vaccine. The ETS does not define “reasonable time” but the FAQs state that if an employer makes available up to two (2) days of paid sick leave per vaccination dose, the employer would generally be in compliance with this ETS requirement. Unlike the required paid time off to receive a COVID-19 vaccine described above, employees may be required to use any accrued sick leave for recovery from vaccination side effects.
  • Employers must require all employees to promptly notify the employer when they receive a positive COVID-19 test or are diagnosed with COVID-19. Regardless of vaccination status, these employees must be immediately removed from the workplace and cannot return until the return to work criteria are met.
  • Employers must report work-related COVID-19 fatalities within eight (8) hours of learning about them and work-related inpatient hospitalizations within twenty-four (24) hours of learning about the hospitalization to OSHA.
  • Employers must allow employees access to their COVID-19 vaccine documentation or test records by the end of the next business day after the employee’s request is made. Additionally, upon request by an employee or employee representative, employers must make available by the end of the next business day the aggregate number of fully vaccinated employees at the workplace, along with the total number of employees at the workplace.

The above ETS provisions, other than testing, are effective December 5, 2021. The testing requirement is effective January 4, 2022.

OSHA indicated that it is the Agency’s intention that the ETS will preempt any State or local laws that ban vaccinations, testing or the wearing of a face covering, except under the authority of an OSHA-approved State Plan.

Employers who fail to comply with the ETS may be subject to OSHA penalties, including heightened penalties for willful or repeated violations of up to $136,532 per violation.

On Saturday, November 6, 2021, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order temporarily staying implementation of the ETS.  The implementation of the ETS thus remains in doubt and employers should continue to follow the status of the law to determine their rights and obligations.

As the law continues to evolve on these matters, please note that this article is current as of date and time of publication and may not reflect subsequent developments. The content and interpretation of the issues addressed herein is subject to change. Cole Schotz P.C. disclaims any and all liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on any or all of the contents of this publication to the fullest extent permitted by law. This is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Do not act or refrain from acting upon the information contained in this publication without obtaining legal, financial and tax advice. For further information, please do not hesitate to reach out to your firm contact or to any of the attorneys listed in this publication.

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