President Biden’s administration recently announced its Path Out of the Pandemic action plan. The action plan calls for employers with 100 or more employees to require employees to be vaccinated or submit to weekly tests, as well as requiring vaccinations for federal employees, contractors, and hospitals receiving federal financial assistance. OSHA is required to issue vaccine/testing rules as part of an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). Until OSHA issues the ETS, many employers are scrambling to understand how the mandates will affect them, what employers should know if considering a surcharge, and how they might prepare for compliance.
The webinar will address the best practices for handling the mandate and surcharge issues, including:
- Who is subject to the vaccine mandate and how employees will be counted
- Recommendations on creating policies and procedures
- Concerns surrounding testing requirements, such as cost and timing
- Considerations for surcharges as a wellness program, implementation, and potential ACA affordability issues
- Reasonable accommodations and exemptions
- HIPAA considerations
Please note: The webinar will reflect the most recent guidance reasonably available at time of presentation. In the event the ETS is issued, or other developments arise that have an impact on this topic, adjustments will be made where possible.
Presenter
Micah Dickie is a litigator in Fisher Phillips’ Atlanta office. As a member of the firm’s Workplace Safety and Catastrophe Management Practice Group, Micah represents clients during safety and health inspections by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and defends them during contested OSHA matters. As part of the firm’s COVID-19 Taskforce and Vaccine Subcommittee, Micah advises employers on the many workplace law aspects of COVID-19.
