USA: Companies must pay absenteeism for vaccination

WASHINGTON (AP) – The federal government will require companies with at least 100 employees to pay for the time their workers are absent to be vaccinated against COVID-19, as well as if they want to recover from the effects of vaccines. sick leave. administration official said on Monday.

These requirements will be part of a pending federal rule detailing how large employers will meet the requirement that workers be vaccinated or tested regularly for the virus.

The White House Budget Office has completed revision of the standard produced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which is expected to be released this week.

The rule will cover companies with 100 or more employees, regardless of how many are in a given location.

“Covered employers must develop, implement and enforce a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, unless they adopt a policy that requires employees to be vaccinated or routinely tested for COVID-19 and tested positively at work. need to choose between covering up,” a Labor Department spokesman said Monday.

Employers are also required to provide workers with paid time off for vaccinations and paid sick leave to recover from any side effects.

The official said the Office of Management and Budget completed its review of the OSHA standard on Monday, and it will be published “over the next few days” in the Federal Register, the official journal of the US government.

The spokesperson declined to elaborate, saying the government would “provide further updates as we have more information.”

Separately, the government will give federal contractors broad authority to deal with employees who refuse vaccinations, according to guidelines released Monday by the White House.

Contractors have until December 8 to ensure employees are fully vaccinated, according to an executive order issued in September. The order has faced resistance from some workers at large companies with federal contracts, such as American Airlines and Southwest Airlines. Southwest’s CEO said his airline would not fire anyone for refusing to receive the vaccine.