The deadline for covered federal contractors to comply with the vaccine mandate was extended from December 8 to January 4.  For more information on the mandate, read our September post.  The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force also updated its FAQs on the mandate to address coverage for affiliated entities.

This extension of the deadline comes at the same time that OSHA issued an Emergency Temporary Standard that requires most private-sector employers with 100 or more employees to have their employees vaccinated or test weekly by January 4.  Read more about the OSHA mandate in our post.  Employees covered by the federal contractor mandate are not subject to the OSHA ETS.

Employers should determine which federal mandates, if any, apply to their workforce and make plans to comply.  Ballard Spahr’s Labor and Employment group assists employers with vaccine policies, including procedures for reviewing medical and religious exemptions.