Last week, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sent its emergency temporary standard (ETS) to the White House regarding COVID-19 testing and vaccine mandates for business with 100 employees or more. While we still await the final ruling from the Biden administration, SHRM reported some of potential implications that BSCs, distributors, in-house staff and other players in the cleaning industry could be facing.
Testing Standards
Employees could be required to either get vaccinated or undergo weekly testing to keep employment.
Time-Off
Employers under the standard may have to allow their employees paid time off, both to receive the vaccination at sites as well as additional time in the case of any potential systems stemming from the dose.
Penalties
Businesses that fail to meet the requirements could be liable for a $14,000 fine for each proven instance of a violation.
Timetable
There is no definitive expected date on an announcement. Some ETS processes can take up to months, but considering the critical nature of COVID-19, it could be expedited to any day. When implemented, the ruling would impact over 80 million American employees.
For additional vaccine mandate coverage, click here.