Postal Service Claims Compliance with Vaccine Mandate will Interrupt Service
Disruptions in service from loss of postal workers cited as basis for temporary waiver from Covid-19 vaccine mandate.
USPS Seeks Waiver until Supreme Court Decision
On January 4, the US Postal Service sought a temporary 120-day waiver excusing compliance with President Biden’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate1. The waiver would remain in place until the legality of the mandate is determined by the Supreme Court.
Vaccine Mandate to go into Effect January 10
The president’s vaccine mandate is set to go into effect on January 10. The mandate requires all business with 100 or more workers to require employee vaccination or weekly Covid-19 testing2. The mandate applies to the USPS.
USPS Claims Compliance will Disrupt Service
Deputy Postmaster General Douglas A. Tulino cited disruptions in the mail service as a basis for seeking the waiver: the mandate “is likely to result in the loss of many employees—either by employees leaving or being disciplines.”3
The Postal Service employees over 650,000 employees and “it can be very difficult and time consuming to make even modest changes to policies and procedures that impact the working conditions of its employees. This is especially true when the collection and use of medical information is involved” Tulio stated4.
Administration Unlikely to Grant Waiver
There is no indication that the Biden administration is likely to grant the temporary waiver. In fact, the administration has taken a hard stance on enforcement of the vaccine mandate.5
https://www.npr.org/2022/01/07/1071256532/postal-service-exempt-vaccine-mandate
https://www.cnet.com/health/covid-vaccine-mandate-news-vaccination-requirements-to-start-next-week/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/01/05/ovid-19-vaccine-mandate-usps/
https://www.npr.org/2022/01/07/1071256532/postal-service-exempt-vaccine-mandate
https://www.npr.org/2022/01/07/1071256532/postal-service-exempt-vaccine-mandate