USA Today Quotes Bob Lian on COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates
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USA Today has quoted Akin Gump labor and employment practice head Bob Lian in its article “$700K for defying vaccine requirement? Democrats push for jump in workplace fines.” The article discusses Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) recent COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
In the article, Lian noted that, should OSHA’s vaccine requirement go into effect, he doesn’t expect the agency to severely punish companies’ making a genuine effort to comply, saying “I think the goal here is to solve a public health crisis. If employers are making good faith efforts at compliance…you're probably not going to get the hammer dropped on you.”
Further, Lian advises against raising OSHA’s level of fines, noting that raising them any higher may incentivize companies to fight the agency rather than simply resolve the matter. He added that OSHA’s current suggestion for fines strikes the right balance and are significant enough to serve as a deterrent.
