Nov. 11, 2021 — The U.S. Postal Service expressed concerns on Wednesday that the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for large companies could affect deliveries, according to Reuters.
In a financial filing, the USPS said complying with the order could lead to “labor challenges and high levels of absenteeism.” The postal service has 644,000 employees across the country.
The order “will be extremely challenging to implement and administer during the height of our peak season, particularly given its expedited schedule,” the USPS wrote in the filing.
Some employees could decide to leave, which “could cause significant business disruptions, and could adversely impact service performance and result in lower mail volume and revenue,” the postal service said.
Last week, the Department of Labor issued details about the order, which requires businesses with 100 or more employees to mandate COVID-19 vaccination or weekly testing by Jan. 4. The rules also require employers to ensure that unvaccinated employees who work in person wear masks by Dec. 5.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is deciding whether to lift an order issued on Saturday that froze the rule temporarily, Reuters reported. States, religious organizations, and private employers have sued the federal government, claiming that it exceeded its authority in issuing the vaccine mandate.
The Postal Service is still reviewing the Biden administration’s order, David Partenheimer, a spokesman for the USPS, told Reuters on Wednesday.
“We continue to take measures to protect the health and safety of our postal workers,” he said.
