US Supreme Court blocks enforcement of federal COVID-19 vaccine standard

Updated January 14, 2022: On Jan. 13, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked enforcement of federal OSHA's Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard. Oregon OSHA has announced they will not move forward with adopting the same or similar standard in Oregon. However, their previous COVID-19 rule is still in effect; read what you need to know.

As you may have seen, the federal OSHA vaccination and testing standard was published on November 4. Here are the key details: 

• The federal standard applies to employers with more than 100 employees  
• These employers must require their employees be fully vaccinated or participate in a weekly testing program and wear a face covering 

Oregon OSHA has until November 19 to respond, and 30 days to adopt it or a rule that is at least as strict. SAIF is monitoring the situation and will send an update once Oregon OSHA responds. We anticipate Oregon OSHA will then have public hearings on these changes.  

As Oregon moves to adopt a rule, we’ll be prepared with webinars and additional guidance around what it means for you. In the meantime, if you have more than 100 employees, we recommend you begin to prepare for implementing a vaccine and/or testing program. We are happy to help — call 877.242.5211 to speak to one of our safety management consultants or contact your consultant directly if you already have one assigned to you. You can also check out an extensive FAQ from Federal OSHA about the rule, including how exemptions are handled.  

SAIF continuously updates our COVID-19 resources, and you can find them at saif.com/coronavirussafety.