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The vaccine mandate debate is just beginning, as a new announcement underscores the Biden administration’s vision to increase the vaccination rate while opponents push back against new measures as government overreach.
Last week, the White House released guidance ordering federal contractors to be vaccinated no later than Dec. 8. The move has a few exceptions for what’s being called “urgent, mission-critical need," and legal experts still have questions about the scope of such a mandate, but many broadly agree it has substantial reach. One expert told Reuters that the move may impact “tens of millions” of workers across the country.
At the same time, 24 attorneys general across the country, representing Republican states, have announced they intend to push back against the Biden administration’s private sector mandate, which would require employers with more than 100 employees to vaccinate their workforces. They claim it will exacerbate the labor shortage, according to HR Dive, and the federal government lacks the ability to compel such a move. While legal challenges are assured, some early evidence suggests employer mandates do have a high uptake from staff. United Airlines said just a small percentage of its 67,000 employees resigned due to its companywide vaccine mandate.
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