The Biden administration will rely on workplace whistleblowers to enforce its new vaccine mandate for companies with more than 100 employees, given that the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not have nearly enough inspectors to check in on every company impacted by the rule, which will effect an estimated 84 million employees, according to a new report.
A federal appeals court in New Orleans last week issued an injunction temporarily halting the Biden administration’s vaccination requirement for large employers, citing “grave statutory and constitutional issues.” However, if the policy goes into effect — requiring workers to be fully vaccinated by January 4 or be tested weekly and wear a mask on the job — the Associated Press reports that it is concerned employees who will largely be responsible for helping OSHA enforce the mandate.
Debbie Berkowitz, a former OSHA chief of staff who is a fellow at Georgetown University’s Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor, told the AP that there is “no army of OSHA inspectors that is going to be knocking on employers’ door of even calling them.”
“They’re going to rely on workers and their union representatives to file complaints where the company is totally flouting the law,” she added.
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