Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees

This executive order mandates COVID-19 vaccination for all federal employees across executive agencies, with exceptions only as required by law. The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force must issue implementation guidance within 7 days, and each agency must then create its own vaccination program.

Federal Register Open PDF 86 FR 50989

Impact dates

Sep 16, 2021
Safer Federal Workforce Task Force guidance on agency implementation

Key directives

Each agency shall implement a program requiring COVID-19 vaccination for all Federal employees
Exceptions permitted only as required by law
Safer Federal Workforce Task Force shall issue guidance within 7 days of order date

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

EO signed and effective September 9, 2021
mandate policy announced

Near term (90d)

Task Force guidance due by September 16, 2021
agency implementation programs to be established

Long term

ongoing enforcement of vaccination requirement
potential legal challenges to mandate authority

Risks & tensions

Legal challenges likely on executive authority to mandate medical procedures; scope of 'exceptions as required by law' left undefined
No explicit enforcement mechanism or penalty structure specified in text
Excludes GAO and may face pushback on applicability to certain employee categories
Reliance on agency-by-agency implementation creates potential inconsistency