A survey conducted by the National Lumber and Building Materials Dealer Association (NLBMDA) found that over 80% of respondents opposed President Biden’s OSHA COVID-19 mandate. The Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) will require all employers with more than 100 employees to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated or require unvaccinated workers to produce a negative test on at least a weekly basis before coming to work.
Of the survey’s 155 respondents, 57% indicated they employ 100 individuals or more and would be subject to the OSHA ETS. Of the group with 100 or more employees, the NLBMDA survey found 78% do not support the COVID-19 vaccine mandate and weekly testing for non-vaccinated employees.
Around four in five respondents with 100 or more employees said the mandate would negatively impact their business and ability to retain employees, with respondents noting the burden placed on employers to test weekly and the likelihood of employees to move to organizations with fewer than 100 employees outside the scope of the new mandate.
Respondents in favor of the ETS mandate noted the benefits of having a fully-vaccinated staff and less resources spent on COVID recovery, sick leave usage, and contact tracing.
The NLBMDA said members expressed concerns about the new OSHA ETS and the financial impact of providing weekly testing for non-vaccinated employees, the potential loss of employees, the administrative challenges to maintain records of vaccinations and weekly testing, and the potential disruptions in production and employee wellbeing.
