Supreme Court grants relief to businesses on Biden's vaccine mandate

Businesses applauded a US Supreme Court decision issued on Thursday that imposed a temporary halt to an economy-wide government rule that forced them to choose between costly fines and maintaining their workers' personalized care rights.

President Joe Biden's demand that all private-sector firms with at least 100 employees be vaccinated against centers or tested weekly was struck down by the United States Supreme Court. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) approved the regulation, which would have imposed stiff penalties on employers that failed to comply. 84 million employees throughout the country were likely to be affected by the requirement.

The vaccination obligation was likewise upheld by the court for healthcare employees at federally sponsored facilities.

The court's opinion said that "several states, corporations, and nonprofit organizations challenged OSHA's regulation in Courts of Appeals around the country." "At first, the Fifth Circuit issued a stay. The stay was lifted when the lawsuits were consolidated before the Sixth Circuit, which permitted OSHA's regulation to go into force. Applicants are now asking the Court for immediate relief, claiming that OSHA's requirement exceeds its statutory power and is otherwise unconstitutional.

A 6–3 vote was decided in favor of the private industry. The health-care worker's requirement was upheld in a 5–4 decision by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who joined the court's three left-leaning members.

14 Jan 2022