General Electric announced that it has suspended Covid vaccine or test requirement for employees after this week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
The Boston-based maker of jet engines, wind turbines, and medical scanners confirmed the decision Friday via e-mail. GE is the first major company to announce a halt after the court’s decision to block the centerpiece of Biden’s push to boost COVID-19 vaccinations.GE holds a number of government contracts, so its 56,000 employees in the US originally fell under a separate vaccination mandate for federal contractors. The company paused that requirement in December — after a federal judge temporarily blocked the rule from going into effect — and then planned to comply with the vaccine-or-testing mandate for private employers.
After the decision came down, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh vowed to use the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s existing authority to hold businesses accountable for protecting workers against Covid.
“Regardless of the ultimate outcome of these proceedings, OSHA will do everything in its existing authority to hold businesses accountable for protecting workers,” Walsh said on Thursday.OSHA still has general authority requiring employers to maintain a safe workplace and can fine businesses if they fail to do so. The agency has investigated thousands of Covid complaints with millions of dollars in proposed fines since the pandemic began. ”
Given Vermont as an example, I am unsure exactly what policy Walsh thinks will work in an occupational setting that will stem the transmission of Covid in any meaningful way, especially as employees are just as likely to get exposures away from the workplace.
I think it is interesting to note that the GE slogan is: Building a World That Works.
This new line brings to life the GE of today and underpins the positive momentum and continued efforts of GE’s multiyear transformation. It emphasizes the importance of the work we do, and the impact we have on our communities around the world.If the last few months have taught us anything, it’s that the world can be unpredictable. However, one thing we do know is that the planet must keep on turning. And because GE is a part of so many moments that matter, we must rise to any challenge. That’s why the people of GE are committed to waking each day, rolling up our sleeves, and helping to build a world that works.
Building a world that works is next to impossible if employees are not there, either because they will not get vaccinated against a virus with a very low chance of serious outcomes or if they are home in isolation for over a week because of a case of the sniffles. Building a world that works actually requires employees to do the work.
It will be interesting to see how many large corporations follow GE’s example.
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