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Breaking: Amtrak Halts Vaccine Mandate For Employees


Earlier this afternoon, Amtrak announced that it would temporarily halt its requirement that employees get the coronavirus vaccine as a condition of employment.

Prior to today’s announcement, Amtrak had required all employees to either receive the coronavirus vaccine or have a valid accommodation request granted.  According to the company, approximately 95.7% of the company’s employees are either fully vaccinated or have an accommodation.  However, the company cited a recent district court injunction that halted the enforcement of President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for employees of federal contractors as grounds for Amtrak’s decision to reevaluate its policy about the vaccine.

Now today’s announcement is not necessarily a complete 180 on the matter.  For the time being, while Amtrak will not require its employees be vaccinated as a condition of employment, they will still be encouraged to do so.  For those employees that do not have the coronavirus vaccine, those employees will be required to submit to testing or be placed on unpaid leave.

Regardless, this is an interesting about face by Amtrak.  That leads me to wonder, which company will be the first to follow suit?


For additional information:  https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-passenger-railroad-amtrak-suspends-vaccine-mandate-employees-2021-12-14/

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