Posted on Nov 5, 2021, 7:39 am
In the land of individual freedoms, this is a fact rare enough to be underlined. Faced with the persistence of the Covid-19 epidemic, the White House has decided to impose vaccination – or failing that regular tests – on tens of millions of private sector employees.
This virtual vaccination obligation will concern employees of companies with more than 100 people, workers in the medical world and employees of subcontractors of federal agencies. As of January 4, 2022, employees must have received their last dose of vaccine, or begin to undergo at least one test per week.
“Vaccination is the best way out of this pandemic”, commented Joe Biden on Thursday in a statement, assuring that he would “have preferred to avoid this obligation, (but) too many people remain unvaccinated for us to be able to get out of it. definitively “. The American president had mentioned this measure in September, during a speech at the White House.
Measures already taken in some companies
Unsurprisingly, the measure caused an uproar in the Republican opposition, which denounces a “dictatorship”. Convincing reluctant adults to receive the vaccine is not an easy task, especially as several American states, including Texas, have already banned vaccination obligations on their soil.
But the White House warned that this new obligation takes precedence over any rule made by a state or local authority, “including laws that prohibit or limit an employer’s power to require vaccination, masks or tests. “. “The point is, vaccine bonds work,” swept a senior US official, predicting that they “would lead to millions of Americans getting vaccinated.”
Several large American groups, including the meat giant Tyson Foods or the airline United Airlines, had already prepared the ground by imposing these obligations on their employees from the end of September. According to Joe Biden, “there have been no mass layoffs or worker shortages caused by vaccine obligations.”
Up to $ 136,000 in fines
For those who are resistant to the vaccine and to regular tests, it is up to the employer to take the measures it deems appropriate. The law “does not prevent employers from using disciplinary measures,” Deputy Labor Secretary Jim Frederick said Thursday. On the business side, those who would be tempted not to enforce the law face a fine ranging from $ 13,000 to $ 136,000, he detailed. But “we know that the vast majority of workplaces will be in order,” he wanted to reassure.
In addition, the threshold of 100 employees was chosen because these companies “have the administrative capacity to implement correctly” this measure, he added. But the obligation could be extended to smaller companies. A consultation is in progress.
With AFP
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