The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force recently issued updated guidance on when covered contractor employees must be fully vaccinated, as well as new FAQS on vaccination and safety protocols and workplaces.

On Sept. 9, President Biden announced his Path Out of the Pandemic: COVID-19 Action Plan and signed Executive Order 14042, Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors. As required by the EO, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force issued guidance, COVID-19 Workplace Safety: Guidance for Federal Contractors and Subcontractors. According to the Sept. 9 guidance, covered federal contractor employees were required to be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8, unless the covered federal contractor was legally required to provide an accommodation for medical or religious reasons. However, on Nov. 4, the White House announced that the vaccination deadline would be extended to align with the vaccination deadline included in the OSHA COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard.  

On Nov. 10, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force issued updated guidance on the COVID-19 Workplace Safety: Guidance for Federal Contractors and Subcontractors that states “covered contractors must ensure that all covered contractor employees are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless the employee is legally entitled to an accommodation. Covered contractor employees must be fully vaccinated no later than January 18, 2022. After that date, all covered contractor employees must be fully vaccinated by the first day of the period of performance on a newly awarded covered contract, and by the first day of the period of performance on an exercised option or extended or renewed contract when the clause has been incorporated into the covered contract.”

For more information, see the newly updated FAQs on vaccination and safety protocols and workplaces and the federal contractors overview website.

Note: Multiple lawsuits have been filed seeking to block the federal contractor mandate from going into effect; the preliminary injunction hearings will be held in several district courts during the first week of December.