OPM Advises Agencies that Federal Employees Entitled to Leave for Boosters
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Kiran Ahuja reminded agency heads in a brief memo that they must provide federal workers with paid time off if they plan to receive the COVID-19 vaccine booster shot.
Executive Order Mandates Vaccination for All Federal Employees, Contractors
President Biden signed an Executive Order requiring all federal employees and contractors get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Lawmakers Respond to Federal Vaccine Mandates
President Biden’s recently signed Executive Orders requiring covid-19 vaccination for federal employees and requiring contractors comply with all Safer Federal Workforce Task Force guidance applicable to federal employees. These vaccine mandates have been met with mixed reactions from federal lawmakers.
Government Managers Express Concern Over COVID-19 Testing, Vaccine Guidance
A coalition of associations representing government managers wrote a letter to the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force expressing concern over a lack of proper guidance and clear-cut lines of communication for implementing COVID-19 testing and vaccination requirements.
Updated Guidance on Protocol for Determining Vaccination Status of Federal Employees
The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force, launched by President Biden to guide federal agencies on safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced in updated guidance that agencies need to ask about the vaccination status of federal workers, who could face consequences for providing false information but may decline to answer.
Biden Administration Announces Vaccine Requirement for Federal Employees
On Thursday afternoon, the Biden administration announced a requirement that all federal employees and contractors show proof of vaccination or submit to regular COVID-19 tests, wear masks, and physically distance from others while at work.
Travel Restrictions Lifted for Fully Vaccinated Federal Employees
The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force, led by the White House COVID-19 Response Team, the General Services Administration (GSA), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), recently announced updates to travel guidelines for federal employees. In accordance with CDC guidelines, the government has lifted all limits on official travel for fully vaccinated federal employees- meaning those who have received their final dose of COVID-19 vaccine at least two weeks previously.
Vaccinated Federal Employees Still Limited to Mission Critical Travel
All federal employee official travel, including for those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, remains limited to travel that is mission critical, according to recently updated Safer Federal Workforce Task Force guidance.
Lawmakers Push for More Vaccines for Federal Workforce
In a letter to Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Acting Director Kathleen McGettigan and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky, several Democratic lawmakers from the National Capital Region, including Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) and Del. Eleanor Norton Holmes (D-DC), have requested that the federal government allocate vaccines for federal employees, especially those in the National Capital Region of Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland.