“We’re going to protect vaccinated workers from unvaccinated coworkers,” Biden said at a press conference. “This is not about freedom or personal choice. It’s about protecting yourself and those around you.” Since vaccines became widely available, employers have tried various tactics to get their workforces inoculated, including adding health insurance penalties. Workers who are fired for violating a vaccine mandate would generally be considered ineligible to collect unemployment benefits, since such benefits are reserved for those who lose their jobs through no fault of their own, according to employment lawyers cited by the Society for Human Resource Management. (Unless the worker was exempt from the policy for medical or religious reasons.) The White House didn’t immediately give details on the OSHA rule or say when it would go into effect. In addition, vaccines will now be mandatory for federal workers, contractors, and healthcare facilities that accept federal funds. Over 17 million health care workers alone will be required to get vaccinated.
