December deadline approaches for federal contractor employees to be vaccinated

Recently released Safer Federal Workforce Task Force guidance requires COVID-19 vaccinations for all covered federal contractor and subcontractor employees by December 8, 2021. The obligation applies to all employees working on or in connection with a federal contract or in a covered contractor workplace, including those who work remotely. The only exemptions are for individuals legally entitled to an accommodation based on disability or religion. Compliance with the guidance will be required in future federal contracts, with narrow exceptions.

New requirements

The task force guidance, issued on September 24 in response to President Joe Biden’s Executive Order 14042, Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors, outlines the following requirements for federal contractors and subcontractors:

Vaccine mandate coverage. All full-time and part-time employees of a covered contractor, working on or in connection with a covered contract or at a covered contractor workplace, will be required to be vaccinated for the virus, including those working remotely. The only exceptions are for employees legally entitled to an accommodation.