Newsletters

By: Claire Williams and Chris Fontan

On January 13, 2022—the same day that it blocked a Vaccination-or-Testing mandate issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”)—the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for enforcement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) of its rule requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for more than 10 million healthcare workers.

In a 5-4 opinion, the Court lifted two previous injunctions blocking CMS’s rule that was issued in November 2021 by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (“HHS”). The CMS Rule provides that, in order to receive Medicare and Medicaid funding, participating healthcare facilities must ensure that their staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless otherwise exempt for medical or religious reasons.  A facility’s failure to comply with the CMS Rule can lead to monetary penalties, denial of payment for new admissions, and ultimately termination of participation in the Medicaid and Medicare programs.

In its per curiam opinion, the Court held that that the CMS Rule falls within the authorities that Congress conferred upon the HHS Secretary.  In so holding, the Court stated that “the Secretary did not exceed his statutory authority in requiring that, in order to remain eligible for Medicare and Medicaid dollars, the facilities covered by the interim rule must ensure that their employees be vaccinated against COVID-19.” Justice Thomas authored a dissenting opinion, which was joined by Justices Alito, Gorsuch, and Barrett.

With the injunctions lifted, covered healthcare facilities need to ensure they are in compliance with the CMS Rule, including CMS’s most recent guidance. Most pressingly, covered healthcare workers must have at least one COVID-19 vaccine by January 27, and a second vaccine by February 28.

Notably, the Court’s opinion is on the district court injunctions, and not on the merits of each case.  Two separate court challenges to the CMS vaccine mandate remain.  With its ruling, the Supreme Court stayed the earlier injunctions pending disposition of the appeals in the United States Courts of Appeals for the Eight and Fifth Circuit.

We are monitoring these events and will update you accordingly.  In the meantime, feel free to contact any member of Brunini’s Labor & Employment Practice Group if you wish to discuss.

By: Claire Williams and Chris Fontan

On January 13, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States re-instated a nationwide stay of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (“OSHA”) COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”).  The Court’s stay of OSHA’s ETS prevents OSHA from enforcing the standard, which officially went into effect on January 10, 2022.

In a per curiam opinion, the Court held that emergency relief from the ETS is warranted because the applicants, including 27 states, are likely to prevail on their argument that OSHA’s ETS exceeds its statutory authority and is unlawful.  The Court reasoned that “[a]lthough Congress has indisputably given OSHA the power to regulate occupational dangers, it has not given that agency the power to regulate public health more broadly.”  The Court went on to state that “requiring the vaccination of 84 million Americans, selected simply because they work for employers with more than 100 employees, certainly falls in the latter category.”

Justice Gorsuch authored a concurring opinion, which was joined by Justices Thomas, and Alito.  Justices Breyer, Sotomayor and Kagan dissented.

The Supreme Court’s stay remains in place pending further litigation and a ruling on the merits of the petitions for review in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.  However, given the limited shelf-life of the ETS itself and the language used by the majority of the Justices, many feel that the Supreme Court’s decision on the stay ultimately seals the fate of the ETS.   We are monitoring these events and will update you accordingly.  In the meantime, feel free to contact any member of Brunini’s Labor & Employment Practice Group if you wish to discuss.

By:  Chris Fontan

Late Friday, December 17, 2021, a three judge panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals dissolved a previously issued stay of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (“OSHA”) COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”).  Shortly after the ruling by the Sixth Circuit, OSHA posted a notice on its website, adjusting its previously established deadlines for compliance with the ETS.

In a 2-1 split vote, the three judge panel determined that, in light of the continued spread of COVID-19 variants, OSHA “must be able to respond to dangers as they evolve.” Judge Jane B. Stanch, an appointee President Barack Obama, authored the opinion. Judge Julia Smith Gibbons, an appointee of President George W. Bush, sided with Judge Stanch.  Judge Joan Larsen, an appointee of President Donald Trump, dissented, noting employees are exposed to COVID-19 even while not working and OSHA had not established there was “grave danger” in the workplace or the ETS requirements would correct that.

OSHA quickly recognized the victory, while at the same time acknowledging the uncertainty that the litigation has caused. As a result, OSHA notified the public of new compliance dates concerning the ETS.  According to a new notice on the agency’s website, OSHA announced that it was “exercising enforcement discretion with respect to the compliance dates of the” mandate. OSHA stated that “it will not issue citations for noncompliance with any requirements of the [mandate] before January 10 and will not issue citations for noncompliance with the [mandate’s] testing requirements before February 9, so long as an employer is exercising reasonable, good faith efforts to come into compliance with the standard.” OSHA also promised to “work closely with the regulated community to provide compliance assistance.”

Based on this announcement, the current deadlines for the OSHA ETS include:

• Immediately: Covered employers must start taking good faith efforts to come into compliance with the ETS.
• January 10, 2022: New deadline for covered employers to:
  • Have written COVID-19 Vaccine-or-Testing Policy prepared describing the requirements with regard to vaccinations and testing
  • Provide specific information about vaccines and the ETS requirements to employees
  • Determine the vaccination status of each employee (and keeping records related to vaccination status)
  • Start requiring masking of unvaccinated employees
  • Provide PTO for employees to get vaccinated
• February 9, 2022: New deadline for covered employers to:
  • Start requiring weekly COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated employees (and keeping records related to weekly testing)

Within several hours of the decision, multiple parties, including 27 states, filed emergency motions with the U.S. Supreme Court to block the ETS and requested an emergency stay of its enforcement. Those applications will be reviewed by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who is assigned to hear petitions from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. At this point, the Supreme Court has several options, including: granting the petitioners’ applications and staying the ETS pending review of the entire Court; granting the petitioners’ application but, given OSHA’s decision to delay compliance dates, not issuing a stay and simply referring the applications to the full Court for a decision; or taking no action on the applications pending review of the full Court.

Although it is always difficult to predict how quickly a ruling might come, experts predict that the Supreme Court will most likely take action in advance of January 10, 2022, to give employers some certainty. Employers are encouraged to continue to monitor developments with the ETS and pending litigation involving its implementation and to contact their labor and employment counsel for additional information concerning these developments.  If you need Labor & Employment counsel, please contact any member of Brunini’s Labor & Employment Practice Group.