More unvaccinated workers will be required to get the Covid-19 vaccine by Jan. 4 or face regular testing under a new rule from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration released Thursday.
Here’s what to know about the new rule.
Who’s covered
The latest federal vaccine mandate applies to all private-sector companies with 100 or more employees, including both full-time and part-time workers, which covers more than 84 million workers and two-thirds of the nation’s private-sector workforce.
The rule does not apply to people who work remotely and do not report to a worksite in-person.
What’s required
Unvaccinated workers will be required to wear a mask while indoors or riding in a vehicle with a colleague for work purposes beginning Dec. 5.
Workers will have until Jan. 4 to receive the final dose of the vaccine — either the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine or the second shot of a Moderna or Pfizer vaccine — in order to be in compliance with the ruling.
Workers who remain unvaccinated by Jan. 4 will have to provide a negative Covid test to their employer on a weekly basis in order to report for work in-person.
