The White House is delaying firings for federal workers who haven't complied with President Joe Biden's Wuhan coronavirus vaccine mandate.
ABC News has the scoop:
The White House’s Office of Management and Budget is telling federal agencies they can hold off on suspending or firing federal workers for not complying with the vaccine mandate until after the holidays, according to a memo obtained by ABC News.
This change, which has not yet been publicly announced, comes as President Joe Biden is putting pressure on private employers to embrace their own vaccine mandates.
Ninety-two percent of federal workers have already had at least one vaccine dose, according to the Office of Management and Budget. The federal workforce's compliance rate stands at 96.5%, meaning employees have had at least one vaccine dose or have a pending or approved exception or extension request.
The move comes after Biden's vaccine mandate for private businesses was repeatedly struck down by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals as unconstitutional. OSHA, the federal agency tapped by Biden to implement the mandate, stopped doing so earlier this month.
OSHA will also oversee the implementation of the federal government vaccine mandate and has told agencies they do not need to report vaccine injuries, side effects or adverse effects.
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration [OSHA], which falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Labor [DOL], is instructing federal agencies not to record adverse reactions or side effects from the Wuhan coronavirus vaccine. Earlier this year, President Joe Biden mandated the shot for all federal workers and contractors. He did the same in September for private companies with more than 100 employees.