OSHA COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

The U.S. Department of Labor, through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), released its Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on November 4, 2021, requiring employers with over 100 employees to require those employees to become vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to weekly testing to prove they are negative for COVID-19 infection. Covered employers are required to implement this mandate within 30 days of the ETS’ publication in the Federal Register and to provide paid time off for employees to be vaccinated. The question has arisen as to whether this applies to county governments with over 100 employees. That will most likely only occur if the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (LLR) adopts this requirement as part of its State OSHA plan. LLR has 15 days from today to notify OSHA whether it will adopt this requirement on the state level. SCAC will share information regarding this mandate’s applicability to county governments once more information is available. If you have any questions, please call Josh Rhodes with SCAC at (803) 609-5961 or via email.