White House gives federal contractors flexibility in enforcing vaccine mandate

The Biden administration is giving federal contractors flexibility to decide how to enforce COVID-19 vaccination requirements for workers, according to new guidance from the White House released on Monday.

The guidance on enforcing President Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate touches on issues like exemptions to the mandate, possible accommodations for those who refuse to be vaccinated and requirements of employees to verify their vaccination status. 

“A covered contractor may be required to provide an accommodation to contractor employees who communicate to the covered contractor that they are not vaccinated for COVID-19, or that they cannot wear a mask, because of a disability (which would include medical conditions) or because of a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance,” the guidance said.

The contractor can then review and consider if any accommodation can be offered. The guidance also allows for contractors to establish a timeline for employees whose request for an accommodation is denied to get vaccinated.

The guidance was released after federal contractors asked for more details on the mandate, which was issued through an executive order in September.

Federal contractors include companies like IBM, Boeing, Southwest Airlines and American Airlines. The administration set a Dec. 8 deadline for the mandate to go into full effect.

“Covered contractors should take note that an individual’s medical need should be considered on a case-by-case basis, including any medical evaluation that addresses the individual’s particular circumstance,” the guidance said.

The guidance said that vaccination for COVID-19 is recommended for people who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, but outlined circumstances when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would recommend delaying vaccination, such as for people infected with COVID-19.