A federal court in Georgia issued a nationwide injunction against the federal contractor mandate yesterday, barring federal agencies from taking any action to enforce the mandate anywhere in the United States. This action follows last week’s injunction against the enforcement of the federal contractor mandate in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee.
The Biden Administration has not yet commented on the ruling. The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force has not updated its guidance since November 29, 2021, and still has not commented on any of the federal rulings enjoining the vaccine mandate.
The court’s order does not serve as an injunction against any employer’s right to carry out its own vaccine mandate, whether consistent or not with the federal contractor vaccine mandate.
The order does, however, operate as a bar to any federal agency enforcing the vaccine mandate as a condition of contracting with the federal government. Federal government buildings and installations may continue to establish site access guidelines that may include vaccination requirements for visitors and guests, including federal contractor employees.
For this reason, federal contractors should continue to work with their contracting officers and government worksite leaders to establish expectations for them to continue performing work.
Stay tuned for updates. If you have questions, please reply to this email and we will be happy to assist you.
____________________________________
For recent Compliance Check blog posts, visit: https://www.valentgroup.com/category/employee-benefits/compliance-check/
This blog and its contents are not intended to be exhaustive nor should any discussion or opinions be construed as legal advice. Readers should contact legal counsel for legal advice.
