There’s a lot of confusion surrounding the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) new emergency temporary standard (ETS) on COVID-19 vaccines.

Recently, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld its decision to stay the vaccine mandate for companies with 100 or more employees to vaccinate their workers against COVID-19. The Court of Appeals declined to lift the stay it placed on the mandate on Nov. 6, specifically on the ETS.

The ETS requires businesses with 100 or more employees to either vaccinate their workers or have them undergo regular testing and take safety precautions like wearing a mask. Penalties for noncompliance could be as high as $13,653 per violation. Contractors are to comply by Jan. 4, 2022.

Trent Cotney, CEO of Cotney Attorneys & Consultants, dives into the latest details and shares what roofing contractors need to know about keeping their crews and employees safe and up to speed.

The stay doesn't affect the vaccine mandate implemented for federal contractors, which requires them to be vaccinated by Dec. 8 without an option for regular testing.