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Justin Furrow Provides Legal Insight for Local Employers Navigating Biden Administration Vaccine Mandate
Justin Furrow, labor and employment chair and COVID-19 task force co-chair for Chambliss, provided insight to WRCB Channel 3 in an interview covering OSHA’s federal vaccine mandate and how it impacts local, private employers.
On the morning of November 4, 2021, the deadline of January 4, 2022 was released for mandatory COVID-19 requirements to aid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. These requirements include enforcing private employers with 100 or more employees to prove their vaccination status or to submit to weekly testing.
Sharing his legal perspective on the controversial topic and what this means for Tennessee businesses, Justin explained that because Tennessee is a State Plan state, the Tennessee Occupational, Safety, and Health Administration (TOSHA) has 15 days to notify federal OSHA of its statewide Emergency Temporary Standard that it plans to enforce.
“We don’t really know what the Tennessee Occupational, Safety, and Health Administration (TOSHA) is going to do about it. There have been rumors that the state is going to file suit so that they don’t have to enact an emergency temporary standard,” said Justin Furrow, chair of Labor and Employment with Chambliss.
Details and a video of the interview can be found in the article, “How President Biden’s Vaccine Mandate Impacts Local Private Employers With a Hundred or More Workers.” Some of Chattanooga’s largest employers were also interviewed, including U.S. Xpress, Inc., Erlanger Health System, Parkridge Medical Center, and the City of Chattanooga.
For details on Biden’s mandate and the reporting requirements announced, please watch Justin’s video update: Quick Highlights of OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard for COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing
If your organization has questions or concerns about the requirements, please contact Justin or another member of the Labor and Employment team.