Federal workers will not be punished for failing to comply with President Joe Biden's vaccination mandate until next year, the White House announced Monday.
The deadline for federal workers to receive the vaccine or face suspension or firing was Nov. 22. The White House said 96.5% of the 3.5 million employee workforce, the country's largest, has already complied.
A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget said Monday that the deadline was “not a cliff and that our goal is to protect workers, not penalize anyone.”
“That's why we've encouraged agencies to continue the education and counseling period in December for the small number of employees not already in compliance, and delay most suspensions and removals until the new year,” the spokesperson said. “We're seeing strong increase in compliance and believe this is the best approach to vaccinate more employees."
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