• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
HealthCOVID-19 vaccines

The Biden administration unveiled 2 vaccination rules on Thursday that will soon impact 100 million U.S. workers

Nicole Goodkind
By
Nicole Goodkind
Nicole Goodkind
Down Arrow Button Icon
Nicole Goodkind
By
Nicole Goodkind
Nicole Goodkind
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 4, 2021, 7:00 PM ET

The Biden administration unveiled two vaccination rules on Thursday that will soon impact 100 million U.S. workers and their employers. 

The first rule, which goes into effect on January 4th, requires companies with 100 or more employees to ensure that their workers are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or that they test negative for COVID-19 at least once a week. The second requires health care workers to be vaccinated by the same deadline with no option for testing. 

Importantly, the vaccine mandate does not apply to employees who “do not report to a workplace where other co-workers or customers are present, or who work exclusively from home,” notes labor and employment lawyer Keith Wilkes, a partner and shareholder at law firm Hall Estill. 

That means that OSHA will not require fully remote employees at companies like Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, Ford, and Slack, which have allowed some employees to work from home, to report proof of vaccination or take weekly COVID tests—so long as they stay away from the office. 

If an unvaccinated employee has been teleworking for two weeks or more but must report to their office, where other employees will be present, they will need show proof of a negative COVID test within the seven days prior to visiting. 

Employers have 60 days until they must comply with the rules, but a long list of legal and reporting preparations await them. 

Employers will have to establish a compliant written policy on vaccination, determine the vaccination status of each employee, obtain acceptable proof of vaccination, provide support for employees who still need vaccination, create and enforce mask policies for those who are unvaccinated, and make certain records available to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, who is enforcing the rule for most office workers (the healthcare rule will be enforced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services). 

They will also be required to provide their employees with information about their policies, information about vaccination efficacy, safety and benefits, and about criminal penalties for knowingly providing false information, said Wilkes.

The government is relying on companies to do the majority of rule-enforcement. There are only a few thousand OSHA workers around the country, and they will mainly be responding to complaints of non-compliance. Employers who are found guilty of breaking the rules will pay up to $13,653 per serious violation and 10 times that for repeated violations. 

Twenty-one states have opted out of OSHA’s governance and instead have OSHA-approved enforcement agencies for workplace safety. Those states will have to enact vaccine-requirement rules that are at least as effective as the federal rule within the next 30 days.

More health care and Big Pharma coverage from Fortune:

  • ‘Vax’ is Oxford English Dictionary’s word of the year
  • With a vaccine mandate looming, these apps help businesses check which employees got vaxxed
  • Novavax COVID-19 vaccine’s long-delayed global rollout will start in Indonesia, fueling hope for more equitable distribution
  • 100 million Indians have skipped their second vaccine dose, leaving the country vulnerable to a third COVID wave
  • A COVID scare trapped 33,000 visitors inside Shanghai Disneyland in a ‘surreal’ scene

Subscribe to Fortune Daily to get essential business stories straight to your inbox each morning.

About the Author
Nicole Goodkind
By Nicole Goodkind
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Health

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Health

Simple App Review (2026): Expert Tested and Reviewed
Healthmeal delivery
Simple App Review (2026): Expert Tested and Reviewed
By Emily PharesApril 30, 2026
11 hours ago
Premium card perks are ‘designed to create a win-win-win for everyone’ but customers are paying with heavy annual fees and data
Personal FinancePersonal Finance Evergreen
Premium card perks are ‘designed to create a win-win-win for everyone’ but customers are paying with heavy annual fees and data
By Catherina GioinoApril 30, 2026
12 hours ago
hoskins
Commentaryoffices
Gensler Co-Chair: Hot-desking was supposed to save money. It may be costing you your culture
By Diane HoskinsApril 30, 2026
19 hours ago
raw milk
Politicsmilk
Risk of paralysis, bacteria, even death is no match for Americans’ thirst for raw milk
By Laura Ungar, Jonel Aleccia and The Associated PressApril 29, 2026
1 day ago
The Best Protein Shakes of 2026: Tasted and Approved by Nutrition Experts
HealthDietary Supplements
The Best Protein Shakes of 2026: Tasted and Approved by Nutrition Experts
By Christina SnyderApril 29, 2026
2 days ago
aging
HealthLongevity
We’re the CEOs of Peloton and the Hospital for Special Surgery. Living longer isn’t enough, we need to live better, too
By Bryan T. Kelly and Peter SternApril 29, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
By Preston ForeApril 27, 2026
4 days ago
Google Cloud revenue is now 18% of Alphabet's business. Is this the beginning of the end of Google's search identity?
Big Tech
Google Cloud revenue is now 18% of Alphabet's business. Is this the beginning of the end of Google's search identity?
By Alexei OreskovicApril 29, 2026
1 day ago
China dominates the world's lithium supply. The U.S. just found 328 years' worth in its own backyard
North America
China dominates the world's lithium supply. The U.S. just found 328 years' worth in its own backyard
By Jake AngeloApril 30, 2026
11 hours ago
‘The cost of compute is far beyond the costs of the employees’: Nvidia executive says right now AI is more expensive than paying human workers
AI
‘The cost of compute is far beyond the costs of the employees’: Nvidia executive says right now AI is more expensive than paying human workers
By Sasha RogelbergApril 28, 2026
3 days ago
With no end in sight, Trump considers new options in Iran war—including the ‘Dark Eagle’ hypersonic missile
Big Tech
With no end in sight, Trump considers new options in Iran war—including the ‘Dark Eagle’ hypersonic missile
By Jim EdwardsApril 30, 2026
19 hours ago
No, tariffs are not strengthening the economy
Commentary
No, tariffs are not strengthening the economy
By Alex DuranteApril 29, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.