\u201cWe are aware of concerns about health care workers choosing to leave their jobs rather than be vaccinated,\u201d the CMS agency wrote. \u201cWhile we understand that there might be a certain number of [healthcare] workers who choose to do so, there is insufficient evidence to quantify and compare adverse impacts on patient and resident care associated with temporary staffing losses due to mandates and absences due to quarantine for known COVID-19 exposures and illness.\u201d<\/p>\n
Survey results revealed 77 percent of healthcare workers said the federal vaccine mandate will not impact their career plan, 7 percent said they will find a new job without a vaccine mandate, 3 percent said they would retire earlier due to the mandate, and 2 percent said will quit medicine entirely due to the mandate.<\/p>\n
\nHowever, 44 percent said the vaccine mandate imposed by the federal government will increase staff turnover at their organizations.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u201cI received a vaccine I didn\u2019t want to get, so that I wouldn\u2019t be fired,\u201d wrote a surveyed healthcare worker.<\/p>\n
The survey also looked at the impact of the federal vaccine mandate on employee morale. It found that 43 percent of respondents believe the federal vaccine mandate will have a significantly positive impact on employee morale, 35 percent believe the vaccine mandate will have a negative impact, and 12 percent believe the vaccine mandate will not impact employee morale in any way.<\/p>\n
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Court stays employer vaccine mandate<\/h2>\n The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Saturday temporarily stayed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration\u2019s emergency temporary standard that would require employers to set a mandate for employee vaccination.<\/p>\n
“Because the petitions give cause to believe there are grave statutory and constitutional issues with the Mandate, the Mandate is hereby stayed pending further action by this court,” the circuit court ordered.
The Emergency Temporary Standard faced challenges even before its publication in the Federal Register. Twenty-four attorneys general signed a letter Sept. 16 promising legal action against the federal government should the mandate come to pass. The letter argued that the mandate could exacerbate the worker shortage, as employees may quit rather than comply.<\/p>\n
\nThis injunction request included filings from the governments of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Utah, all signees on the September letter.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order limiting employer vaccine mandates earlier in October, while Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy issued an order Nov. 2 stating “no state agency shall participate in, or use state funds or personnel, to further a federal vaccine mandate for employers.”<\/p>\n
Despite this stoppage and continued legal challenge, attorneys advise employers to work toward compliance anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n