Numerous business organizations expressed concerns about the President Joe Biden’s Covid mandate. They argued that it will be burdensome for businesses in the holiday season, as they have to rush to implement the deadline which is shortly after New Year’s Day. 

This mandate applies to companies with more than 100 employees. It requires U.S. businesses to make sure their employees are vaccinated or undergo regular testing by January 4. 

All unvaccinated employees must wear masks inside the house one month before Dec. 5. according to the new rulesIssued by OSHA under Labor Department.

OSHA also will conduct workplace inspections to ensure compliance. Penalties for violations of the rules range from $13,653 to $136.532.

The National Retail Federation (and the Retail Industry Leaders Association) requested a period of 90 days for implementation during their meetings last month with White House officials. They said that the mandate would be too burdensome during busy holidays shopping seasons. 

David French, NRF senior vice president for government relationships, stated that “Since President’s announcement about the vaccine mandate to private industry, there has been a drop in seven days average cases in the United States by more than half.”

French stated that “but, the Biden administration chose to declare an emergency” and impose new burdensome requirements on retailers during this crucial holiday shopping period.”

Retail Industry Leaders Association called this period inadequate and warned that the possible fines for noncompliance were “unnecessary” and “unhelpful.” It is not a good idea to pit government against private employers, but rather work with them in creating a safe workplace environment“

The association released a statement Thursday saying that although the mandate for private employers is technically effective after the holiday, it will take time to plan and execute the mandate during peak shopping seasons.

According to the National Federation of Independent Business, OSHA’s mandate will make it more challenging and difficult for small business owners to continue operating in a hostile environment. 

Karen Harned from NFIB’s Small Business Legal Center stated Thursday that the NFIB “remains opposed to this regulation that restricts freedom for small business owners to determine how best to manage their business and imposes unnecessary burdens on small companies that further threaten the recovery of small businesses.” 

OSHA senior administration officials stated that OSHA will assist companies in complying with the mandate through sample implementation plans, factsheets, and other forms.

Federal contractors were also required to adhere to a more stringent set of vaccination requirements by Jan. 4 instead of Dec. 8 as per the Biden administration. This was in line with the timeframe for private firms and other health-care providers.

Joshua Bolten (CEO and President Business Roundtable) welcomed the extension of the mandate to federal contractors. However, he stressed the importance of implementation and asked for more flexibility by the Biden administration.

He mentioned difficulties in employee retention, preholiday supply chain challenges, and the “complexities faced by many companies” when they have to conform with both the federal and private regulations on health.

American Chamber of Commerce dubs itselfThe world’s biggest business group, OSHA, released a statement expressing support for the OSHA “significant adjustments” to the vaccine mandate that “reflect concerns raised by business communities.”

It stated that the group would be focused on “helping members ensure their employees are vaccinated” and would alert OSHA to employers who have “operational, and implementation issues”.

As the mandate becomes effective, the National Association of Manufacturers fears “undue costs burdens”. Jay Timmons (president and CEO of National Association of Manufacturers) called on the Biden administration not to be rigid. 

Timmons explained that Federal vaccine requirements need to be flexible enough for us to achieve our goals. OSHA has taken many of our suggestions into account. 

He said that while we are reviewing the rule, manufacturers will still be able to discuss their experiences and share them with us to ensure our members don’t face undue costs or other disruptions. 

United Auto Workers union in a statementThe complexity involved in enforcing new Covid-related orders was a topic of conversation. “We will examine our more than 700 employer contracts to determine how this rule impacts current protocols at different workites, as well any effects on the terms and conditions of our existing contracts.”

Large airlines such as American, Southwest, and Delta are subject to the tighter mandate. These large carriers fly U.S. Mail and employees of government agencies, along with Boeing and IBM.

American Airlines and Southwest pilots unions had voiced their opposition to the mandate. They said that each pilot should make a medical decision about it. Although the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association tried to stop the implementation, a Texas federal judge denied the request last week and dismissed the lawsuit.

Both labor unions praised the federal contractor delay. Casey Murray of Southwest’s pilots union said in a statement that “we are happy to hear that [the Biden administration] has listened labor and industry concerns concerning the deadline occurring before-the busy holiday season.” Although the mandate continues to be concerning, SWA will now have the opportunity to negotiate better with SWAPA on protocols related the mandate. This should allow SWA the chance of improving its planning and negotiation regarding how it affects our pilots.

Southwest indicated that they were reviewing the guidance and didn’t specify if it would delay the vaccination deadline.

Late last month, some of the nation’s largest unions pushed the Biden administration to expand its vaccine mandate plansTo include greater employee protections. That group included the AFL-CIO and United Food and Commercial Workers, both of which had argued in a lawsuit against the Biden administration that OSHA’s Covid safety standards were inadequate.

Marc Perrone, President of UFCW International said that the mandate was not sufficient but offered “a crucial first step” to ensure workers’ safety on the job.

Perrone declared, “The terrible truth is this pandemic has not ended.”

— Melissa Repko from CNBC contributed to the report.