Executive Summary:
In recent weeks, Hawaii along with the country has seen a spike in COVID cases with the new variants, most notably the delta variant.
So many different events have happened on the local, state, and federal levels as it pertains to combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order mandating vaccinations for federal workers and contractors and then expanded the rules to encompass employers with more than 100 workers (with final details to be announced). On September 24, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force issued guidance detailing the requirements for federal contractors. And employees that work at health facilities that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding also will need to be fully vaccinated.
Locally, Governor Ige mandated vaccinations for State and County workers which went into effect in August, requiring all non-vaccinated workers to be tested regularly, and on October 1, the governor issued an Emergency Proclamation which amongst several things keeps Hawaii’s Safe Travels program and statewide mask mandates in place until November 30, 2021. And we end nearly three weeks of the Safe Access Oahu and Safer Outside (for Maui) programs.
The federal Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration will have the next say in what happens with vaccination mandates in the workplace.
Many businesses in Hawaii are contemplating vaccination requirements for their organizations, have started complying with local applicable mandates whereas other larger employers are preparing to comply with the 100-employee rule.
As a follow up to our August 2021 COVID-19 Survey, Hawaii Employers Council recently invited its members to share their insights during a survey conducted from September 17th – 22nd, 2021. A total of one hundred ninety-six local organizations covering more than sixteen industries responded to the survey. Over one-third (34.7%) of the participants will be affected by the new executive order based on their size.
Click on image below to access the Survey Report (PDF)