Biden Disappointed By Court’s Decision, Urges Employers To Require Covid Shot
President Joe Biden lamented the Supreme Court’s private workplace decision, which is a blow to his efforts to control the covid pandemic. "I am disappointed that the Supreme Court has chosen to block common-sense life-saving requirements for employees at large businesses that were grounded squarely in both science and the law," he said in a statement, while also calling on private businesses to "do the right thing" and require vaccinations.
The Washington Post:
Biden Expresses Dismay As SCOTUS Blocks Workplace Vaccination Mandate
President Biden expressed dismay at the Supreme Court’s decision on Thursday to halt his administration’s efforts to impose a requirement for coronavirus vaccinations or testing on businesses with at least 100 workers. “I am disappointed that the Supreme Court has chosen to block common-sense life-saving requirements for employees at large businesses that were grounded squarely in both science and the law,” he said, adding that he would still push companies to immunize their employees. “The Court has ruled … but that does not stop me from using my voice as President to advocate for employers to do the right thing.” (Jeong and Francis, 1/14)
The Hill:
Biden Calls On Employers To Mandate Vaccines Despite Supreme Court Ruling
President Biden on Thursday appealed to states and companies to require people to get vaccinated against the coronavirus despite the Supreme Court blocking his vaccine-or-test mandate for large employers. ... “As a result of the Court’s decision, it is now up to States and individual employers to determine whether to make their workplaces as safe as possible for employees, and whether their businesses will be safe for consumers during this pandemic by requiring employees to take the simple and effective step of getting vaccinated,” the president said in a statement. (Gangitano, 1/13)
CNBC:
Biden Vows Covid Vaccine Push After Supreme Court Ruling On Vaccination Mandate
The Supreme Court ruling that barred the Biden administration’s Covid vaccine mandate for employees of large employers will not prevent U.S. companies from requiring vaccinations for their workers. President Joe Biden vowed Thursday to push for companies to do just that in order to save American lives and prevent even more financial fallout from the two-year coronavirus pandemic. (Mangan, 1/13)
What's next for businesses? —
AP:
Businesses React To Ruling Against Biden Vaccine Mandate
For companies that were waiting to hear from the U.S. Supreme Court before deciding whether to require vaccinations or regular coronavirus testing for workers, the next move is up to them. Many large corporations were silent on Thursday’s ruling by the high court to block a requirement that workers at businesses with at least 100 employees be fully vaccinated or else test regularly for COVID-19 and wear a mask on the job. Target’s response was typical: The big retailer said it wanted to review the decision and “how it will impact our team and business.” (Koenig, 1/14)
The Washington Post:
Employers Face Patchwork Of State Policies On Worker Vaccination After Supreme Court Order
The Supreme Court’s decision that large companies do not have to force workers to get coronavirus shots or tests leaves employers facing a patchwork of clashing state policies over their role in protecting their workforces from the surging pandemic. ... The about-face affects 84 million employees, more than half the U.S. labor force, although with about 63 percent of the U.S. population fully vaccinated, many workers are already immunized. (Goldstein, Rosenberg and Bogage, 1/13)
The New York Times:
Businesses Are Whipsawed Again As The Supreme Court Blocks OSHA’s Vaccine Mandate
Vaccine mandates have been a controversial approach to battling the pandemic. United Airlines and Tyson Foods are among the major companies that already have such requirements, but many others are waiting for legal battles to be resolved. Walmart, Amazon and JPMorgan Chase, three of the largest private employers in the United States, have yet to issue broad requirements for their staff. A spokesman for Macy’s, which began to request the vaccination status of its employees this month, said the retailer was “evaluating this late breaking development.” Some companies with vaccine mandates said keeping those policies might become more difficult in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling. (Goldberg and Hirsch, 1/13)
In related news about the mandates —
CBS News:
Marine Corps Grants Armed Services' First Two Known Religious Exemptions To COVID-19 Vaccine
The Marine Corps has approved two requests to service members who are refusing the COVID-19 vaccine on religious grounds, marking what are believed to be the first known religious exemptions granted across all the armed services — out of thousands of requests. The religions of the two Marines who obtained exemptions from the Marine Corps are not known. A spokesperson for the Marines said the service could not provide more details for privacy reasons. (Watson, 1/13)
Bloomberg:
Citi Says 99% Of U.S. Staffers Complied With Vaccine Mandate
Citigroup Inc. said 99% of its U.S. employees have complied with its vaccine mandate, one of the strictest on Wall Street. The firm expects more employees will comply with the order before the deadline on Friday, Sara Wechter, head of human resources, said Thursday in a LinkedIn post. As part of the mandate, staffers were able to receive exemptions. (Surane, 1/14)
Health News Florida:
Universal Orlando Is Requiring COVID-19 Vaccines Or Weekly Testing For Staff
Starting next month, Universal Orlando employees will be required to be fully vaccinated or tested weekly — an effort to protect employees and guests from COVID-19. Starting Feb. 9, the theme park will require only team members to be fully vaccinated or tested every seven days. In a statement, Universal Orlando says the policy is an effort to comply with federally mandated regulations. The theme park says it will initially provide free testing on-site for team members. (Byrne, 1/13)
