Close Menu
AGC NewsAGC News
  • Home
  • News
    • Advocacy
    • Economics
    • Energy & Environment
    • Infrastructure
    • Building
    • Procurement
    • Labor & HR
    • Safety & Health
    • Technology
    • Workforce Development
  • AGC Videos
  • Constructor Magazine
    • Digital Publications
    • Online Exclusives
    • Sponsored Content
  • ConstructorCast
  • News Releases
Latest News

AGC Tech Conference: Measuring A.I.’s Impact

May 30, 2025

Trump Administration Pauses Enforcement on Portions of the Mental Health Parity Rules

May 29, 2025

AGC Supports the Rollback of Beneficial Reporting Requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act; Urges President Trump to go further.

May 29, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
AGC NewsAGC News
  • Home
  • News
    • Advocacy
    • Economics
    • Energy & Environment
    • Infrastructure
    • Building
    • Procurement
    • Labor & HR
    • Safety & Health
    • Technology
    • Workforce Development
  • AGC Videos
  • Constructor Magazine
    • Digital Publications
    • Online Exclusives
    • Sponsored Content
  • ConstructorCast
  • News Releases
AGC NEWSLETTERS
AGC NewsAGC News
Home » New Federal COVID Vaccine Rule Will Likely Prompt Construction Workers To Shift To Smaller Firms, Add To Sector’s Labor Challenges
Safety & Health

New Federal COVID Vaccine Rule Will Likely Prompt Construction Workers To Shift To Smaller Firms, Add To Sector’s Labor Challenges

Construction Officials Say Federal Mandates Add to Industry’s Confusion by Creating Different Standards for Firms Based on Size and the Work they Perform and Offering Conflicting Details
November 4, 2021Updated:April 25, 2024No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Healthcare coronavirus vaccine arrangement
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement in reaction to the release today of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) new coronavirus vaccine rule:

“This association has been an ardent advocate for the coronavirus vaccine. We were among the first to organize a nationwide coronavirus vaccine awareness week, have worked with the CDC to provide resources and public service ads specific to the construction industry, and continue to take every possible step to urge construction professionals at all levels to get vaccinated.

“Instead of providing additional resources and support to encourage workers to do the right thing, the Biden administration’s new vaccine mandates will make the challenge of vaccinating more construction professionals harder, based on our initial analysis of the measure.

“The rule creates more confusion than clarity. For example, the measure claims to require workers to incur the costs of testing, yet it also says many employers will likely be required to pay those workers for the time spent getting tested. The rule also claims to exempt people who work outside – something many in construction do – but then defines outside in a way that excludes just about every occupation traditionally performed outdoors.

“By opting to have one standard apply to federal contractors, a different standard apply to firms that employ 100 or more people, and no standard for firms with 99 or fewer workers, the administration is doing more to encourage vaccine-reluctant workers to relocate to smaller firms than to get vaccinated. This is something many workers will easily be able to do in a labor market where nearly 90 percent of construction firms are having a hard time finding workers to hire.

“The Biden administration isn’t even clear on whether there is an emergency to justify this rule’s rapid drafting and implementation. On one hand, the narrative refers to the rule as an Emergency Temporary Standard while also labeling it an Interim Final Rule. And while declaring an immediate emergency, the measure also finds the time to ask for comments over the next 30 days.

“We all want to see more people vaccinated and we are all doing our part to make that happen. But this rule will lead many workers to shift jobs to smaller firms while leaving larger contractors with the burden of having to comply with a complex new rule while they struggle to find workers that don’t exist to meet client demands that do.

“The path to ending the pandemic does not lie through confusion, coercion or conflicting mandates. That is why this association will provide comments to this measure designed to fix its many flaws and continue to explore all other possible options to protect the construction industry and the economy from the many risks created by this measure.”

Building COVID-19 Federal/Heavy Highway Infrastructure Utility
Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

Related News

Trump Administration Pauses Enforcement on Portions of the Mental Health Parity Rules

May 29, 2025

Construction Jobs Increase In 184 Metro Areas Between April 2024 And April 2025

May 28, 2025

The House Advances Reconciliation Package with Changes

May 22, 2025

Upcoming Webinar: How GCs Are Using AI to Work Smarter

May 21, 2025
Add A Comment
Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Latest News

AGC Tech Conference: Measuring A.I.’s Impact

May 30, 2025

Trump Administration Pauses Enforcement on Portions of the Mental Health Parity Rules

May 29, 2025

AGC Supports the Rollback of Beneficial Reporting Requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act; Urges President Trump to go further.

May 29, 2025

Your source for AGC news. Find us on social media to learn more about the Associated General Contractors of America.

Connect with us:

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
© 2025 Associated General Contractors of America.
  • Home
  • AGC.org
  • Get In Touch
  • Convention
  • Notice of Permission to Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Antitrust Policy

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.