Supreme Court Blocks OSHA Mandated in Win for Business Sustainability
by Bridger Mahlum, Government Relations Director
Last week the US Supreme Court reissued the hold on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) emergency temporary standard that would mandate COVID vaccination for all employees, or undergo weekly testing, in companies with more than 100 staff. This comes as welcome news for large Montana businesses that were stuck between this federal rule and new state law that prohibits discrimination based on vaccination status. Massive administrative costs, securing hard-to-find test kits, and other HR nightmares are also averted.
The Montana Chamber of Commerce appreciates the clarity that this ruling delivers for Montana employers that are doing the best they can to foster both a safe and productive working environment during these challenging times. We also applaud Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen for joining dozens of other states shortly after the ruling to call on OSHA to withdraw its private employer vaccine mandate for good.
COVID-19 and the public health risks associated with it are far from over, but this mandate that would have required businesses of an arbitrary size to enforce a deeply personal decision for their employees was never the answer. The Montana Chamber encourages everyone to use their best judgement to help stabilize public health and the economy as we embark upon 2022.
