The Biden administration recently announced the deadline for employees of federal contractors covered by Executive Order 14042 to be vaccinated for COVID-19 will be extended to Jan. 4, 2022. Previously, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force set a deadline of Dec. 8, 2021, for federal contracts entered into or modified after Oct.15, 2021.
Continue Reading Biden administration extends federal contractor vaccination deadline to Jan. 4 to align with OSHA and CMS deadlines

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued its Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) mandating certain COVID-19 safety protocols. The ETS answers some of the questions employers have had while waiting for the standard.
Continue Reading OSHA issues emergency temporary standard: Mandates COVID-19 vaccination or testing for companies with over 100 employees company-wide

On Sept. 27, 2021, we posted about Ohio House Bill 401 and the potential for employers to lose workers’ compensation immunity for injuries incurred as a result of a mandatory vaccination. The bill would create a separate cause of action under Ohio law for persons allegedly injured as a result of an employer-mandated COVID-19 vaccine.

On Oct. 7, 2021, the Ohio House Labor and Commerce Committee held its second informal hearing on a separate but related piece of legislation, House Bill 435. The bill expressly provides that an injury covered under the Ohio Workers’ Compensation Act includes an injury or disability caused by an employer-mandated COVID-19 vaccine.
Continue Reading The Ohio Legislature and dueling bills: Vaccinations and Ohio workers’ compensation

The Eastern District of Kentucky, which falls within the purview of the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, recently denied injunctive relief to a group of plaintiffs who challenged their employer’s mandatory vaccination requirement in Beckerich, et al., v. St. Elizabeth Medical Center Inc., et al.

Facts

In this case, plaintiffs are a group of healthcare workers who are employees or former employees of defendants St. Elizabeth Medical Center and Summit Medical Group (St. Elizabeth). St. Elizabeth recently enacted a mandatory vaccination policy, whereby an employee must receive a COVID-19 vaccination unless he or she requests a medical or religious exemption. Any employee who fails to comply with the policy may be terminated.
Continue Reading Federal Court holds that private employer’s mandatory vaccination policy is lawful