The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated the nationwide preliminary injunction on President Biden’s vaccine mandate for the federal workforce, determining the district court lacked jurisdiction.

The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force (Task Force) continues to provide new guidance for federal employees regarding COVID-19 related areas not covered by the injunction.

In a ruling issued by a federal judge in the Southern District of Texas, the Biden Administration is unable to enforce Executive Order 14043 (EO), mandating vaccination for federal employees. The ruling halts all impending disciplinary actions.

On January 11, 2022, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force issued new and updated guidance regarding COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.

A federal judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia denied a federal employee’s motion for a temporary restraining order to enjoin enforcement of the President’s executive orders.

This week, the Biden administration delayed suspensions and firings for federal employees until 2022 despite 97 percent compliance with the mandate.

Alternately, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the Department of Defense (DOD) will not pay National Guard members who refuse to receive to comply with the federal vaccine mandate.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) President, Dr. Everett Kelley, testified alongside union leaders and association representatives before the House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation & Maritime Security that the upcoming November 22 vaccine mandate deadline for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers would harm morale and distract workers during their busiest period.

In a letter to Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Michael Carvajal, Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) requested a report on the federal prison system's current personnel and recruitment procedures. Published on November 3, 2021, the request is intended to give Congress a clear picture of the system's condition.

This week, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) urged the Biden administration to extend the federal vaccine mandate deadline for federal employees to January 4, 2022 — the new deadline set for federal contractors.

On October 30, 2021, a federal employee union filed a lawsuit challenging President Biden's vaccine mandate for federal employees in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The case aims to invalidate the Executive Order and subsequent guidance from the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force (Task Force) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

On October 1, 2021, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Kiran Ahuja announced further guidance on implementing the vaccine mandate as all federal workers must be entirely vaccinated by November 22, 2021.