Last Updated on October 21, 2021

Breaking Down The November 22 Deadline By Vaccination

October 15, 2021 – President Joe Biden announced, on Sept. 9, that OSHA would issue an ETS requiring covered businesses to mandate that their workers be vaccinated against the coronavirus or undergo weekly testing. Covered employers will also have to give workers paid time off to get vaccinated or recover from any side effects of getting vaccinated. Employers that don’t comply with the vaccine mandate or paid-time-off requirement may face fines of up to $14,000 per violation. 

On Oct. 12, the the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sent its emergency temporary standard (ETS) to the White House for final review.

In addition to the directive for private employers, Biden issued Executive Order 14042, which requires federal employees and contractors to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Federal employees will need to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 22 and contractors by Dec. 8. In FAQs, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force reminded federal agencies that they still must comply with applicable federal laws—including privacy and collective bargaining obligations—when requesting vaccination information. Prior to the vaccine mandate’s effective date, onsite contractors who are not fully vaccinated must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than three days before entering a federal building.

How to Plan Your Vaccination Compliance

We know that compliance will take some planning. Under the FAQs, federal employees must receive the final dose of an authorized vaccine in enough time to be considered “fully vaccinated” by Nov. 22. “Fully vaccinated” means two weeks have passed since someone received a single-shot vaccine or the second dose of a two-shot vaccine, so the last dose must be administered by Nov. 8.

Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Deadline

The two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech shots are generally administered three weeks apart, so workers will need to get their first shot by Oct. 18.

Moderna Vaccine Deadline

Doses of the Moderna vaccine are given four weeks apart, so the first dose is needed by Oct. 11.

Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Deadline

Covered workers have until Nov. 8 to get the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The task force cautioned that availability is limited in some locations, so workers may not be able to get the vaccine of their choice. “Agencies should encourage employees to plan ahead and allow enough time to receive all required vaccine doses before the Nov. 8 deadline to have their second shot,” the task force said.

New Hire Vaccine Requirements

New hires who start on Nov. 22 or later must be fully vaccinated when their employment begins unless an accommodation is legally required. Limited exceptions may also be available if an agency has an “urgent, mission-critical” hiring need.

Keep in mind this is fluid information and that we are expecting changes. As we receive more information we will update you.

Consult with MyHRConcierge for Your COVID-19 and Other HR Needs

For more information regarding HR policies during the COVID-19 crisis or assistance with other HR needs, contact MyHRConcierge at 1-855-538-6947 x.108 or email ccooley@myhrconcierge.com.