The U.S. Department of Labor has issued an emergency temporary standards to protect workers from COVID-19.
On Nov. 4, the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration created a new emergency temporary standard against the coronavirus. It said OHSA is prepared to assist employers in complying with the new rules by providing a FAQ Internet page, a webinar and other compliance materials. The new rules will apply to two-thirds of the nation's workers.
“@OSHA_DOL has resources to help employers comply with the new emergency temporary standard on vaccination and testing to keep workers safe from the coronavirus" OSHA DOL said in a post to its official Twitter account Nov. 8.
The ruling aims to protect more than 84 million workers from exposure to COVID-19 in their workplace. Employers covered under the standard will be obligated to require their employees to get vaccinated or provide them the option to either get vaccinated or undergo regular testing and wear a mask at work. Another rule requires employers to keep a vaccination roster where each employee’s vaccination status is registered.
A statement from the Department of Labor warns that unvaccinated workers face "grave danger" at work, which the new plan is designed to alleviate. OSHA believes the new policy will prevent thousands of deaths and reduce hospitalizations by more than 250,000 due to exposure to the coronavirus in the workplace. The new Department of Labor rules apply to companies with at least 100 employees.
Employees will need proof of vaccination, according to a Department of Labor statement. Workers are also required to provide notice when they contract the coronavirus, and employers will be required to remove those employees from the workplace environment.
Employers are not required to pay for their employees to be tested or to pay for face coverings, according to the new rule.
