What Does the OSHA Vaccine Emergency Temporary Standard Mean for Restaurants?

OSHA recently issued an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) which requires businesses with more than 100 workers to require their employees to get vaccinations against the coronavirus by January 5, 2022. The future of the ETS remains uncertain due to pending legal challenges and it will likely take several more weeks until the final judicial decision is known. 

Businesses with 100 employees or more, should continue to plan for implementing the ETS by January 4, 2022, until a permanent stay is issued (if there is one) and court dates are set.

Compliance Deadlines
December 5th – Unvaccinated workers will need to adhere to the masking requirements in the workplace.  Employers will need to provide up to 4 hours of paid leave for workers to get vaccine shots, and also provide additional leave for workers who need to recover from side effects.

January 4th – Employers will need to have workers fully vaccinated.

​January 5th – For workers who are not vaccinated, the testing requirement begins. Prior to that date, unvaccinated workers do not need to be tested.

Resources and Information 
The National Restaurant Association ETS Webinar
National Restaurant Association Fact Sheet 
White House Fact Sheet
Department of Labor Webinar 
Department of Labor Fact Sheet
Department of Labor ETS Summary
Department of Labor ETS FAQs
Federal Register ​

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