OSHA Rescinds Vaccine-Or-Test Mandate, But Offers No Info On Path Forward
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has rescinded its Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for COVID vaccination and testing. The withdrawal was effective as of January 26, 2022.
As Connecting the Dots readers are well aware, the ETS would have required all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their employees were fully vaccinated by January 4, 2022 or to require workers to be tested on a weekly basis. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the ETS was unconstitutional earlier this month.
OSHA has only said it is withdrawing the temporary rule; it could continue with the rulemaking process as it considers a permanent standard. The agency has announced no firm plans to do so, however.
OSHA also could opt to pursue a more limited industry-specific standard. OSHA said it continues to “strongly encourages vaccination of workers against the continuing dangers posed by COVID-19 in the workplace.”