Chloe Ramirez
In September 2021, President Biden issued an executive order requiring all federal employees and contractors to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This mandate, which included exceptions for workers seeking religious or medical exemptions, was part of a new action plan to address the latest rise in coronavirus cases and the stagnating pace of COVID-19 vaccinations. The order also applied to companies with 100 or more employees, who were required to ensure their workforce was fully vaccinated or show a negative test at least once a week. This decision was controversial and raised questions about its legality, with some arguing that Biden was overstepping his authority in trying to force private companies and workers to get vaccinated. Despite the controversy, the mandate was upheld in Biden v. Missouri for healthcare workers at federally funded facilities. Now, in 2025, the OPM has ordered federal agencies to expunge COVID-19 vaccine records, marking an end to this chapter in federal policy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate for Federal Employees | Yes, under President Biden's executive order |
| Companies Exempt from Mandate | Companies with less than 100 employees |
| Federal Agencies with Vaccine Requirements | Department of Veterans Affairs, The Pentagon, Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services |
| Mandate Timeline | Federal employees had 75 days to comply with the mandate |
| Non-Compliance | Employees could be fired or disciplined |
| Exemptions | Religious and medical exemptions allowed |
| Mandate for Contractors | Yes, federal contractors are required to be vaccinated |
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What You'll Learn
Biden's executive order
In September 2021, President Joe Biden issued an executive order requiring all federal employees and contractors to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This mandate covered several million workers and was part of a new "action plan" to address the latest rise in coronavirus cases and the stagnating pace of COVID-19 vaccinations. The order stated:
> "I have determined that to promote the health and safety of the Federal workforce and the efficiency of the civil service, it is necessary to require COVID-19 vaccination."
The executive order came as Biden sharply criticized the tens of millions of Americans who were not yet vaccinated, despite the vaccine being available for months. He said:
> "We've been patient. But our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us. [The unvaccinated minority] can cause a lot of damage, and they are."
Republican leaders and some union chiefs criticized Biden's mandate as an overreach of power, suggesting that legal challenges would follow. The mandate included a religious exemption, but this caused controversy when it was revealed that some agencies were compiling databases of federal employees seeking a religious exemption.
In August 2025, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) ordered federal agencies to expunge COVID-19 vaccine records, allowing federal employees to opt out of record deletion. This move was intended to protect the personal medical privacy of federal employees and ensure that employment decisions were rooted in merit rather than medical history.
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Religious exemption controversy
In September 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order requiring all federal employees and contractors to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The mandate included a religious exemption, but this ultimately proved controversial. It was revealed that some agencies were compiling databases of federal employees seeking a religious exemption from the vaccine mandate, and several lawsuits were filed against this practice.
One such lawsuit was Feds for Medical Freedom v. Biden, filed in December 2021, which argued that the mandate violated constitutional rights and delayed religious accommodations. A nationwide injunction was issued in January 2022, halting enforcement.
Another case involved the Mayo Clinic, which was sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for allegedly denying a religious exemption to a security guard, Cody Schultz, who expressed religious objections to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Schultz was a member of the Assemblies of God Church and stated that his faith had guided him through his illness after contracting COVID-19 in 2020. The EEOC claimed that the Mayo Clinic violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by not providing Schultz with a reasonable accommodation and demanded a jury trial, seeking damages and policy changes to prevent future unlawful conduct.
These controversies highlight the complex and contentious nature of vaccine mandates and religious exemptions, with some arguing that such mandates violate constitutional rights and civil rights, while others maintain that they are necessary to protect public health and safety.
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Legal challenges
In September 2021, President Joe Biden issued an executive order mandating COVID-19 vaccination for all federal employees and contractors. This order stated that employees had 75 days to comply with the mandate or face disciplinary action, including the possibility of being fired. However, the mandate included a religious exemption, which caused controversy when it was revealed that some agencies were compiling databases of employees seeking this exemption.
The Biden administration's vaccine mandate faced several legal challenges from various groups, including Feds for Freedom, a nonprofit representing 6,000 federal workers. Feds for Freedom sued the Biden administration in December 2021, arguing that the mandate violated constitutional rights and delayed religious accommodations. A nationwide injunction was issued in January 2022, halting enforcement of the mandate. This injunction was paused in February 2022 by a federal appeals court, but reinstated in April 2022 by a federal court. The White House delayed enforcement of the mandate pending an appeal.
In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated the injunction and sent the case back to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, ruling that the injunction was moot as the federal government had rescinded the mandates. Despite this, Feds for Freedom celebrated the settlement as a victory for individual rights and a check on government overreach. The settlement included the requirement for the government to expunge the COVID-19 vaccine status records of federal workers and prohibited discrimination based on vaccine status.
In addition to the legal challenges faced by the Biden administration, there was also opposition to vaccine mandates from Republican leaders and some union chiefs, who argued that the mandates infringed on personal freedoms and went too far in trying to control private companies and workers. These differing political views were reflected in a poll that showed 87% of Democrats believed COVID-19 vaccines were safe, compared to only 30% of Republicans.
The legal challenges and political opposition to federal vaccine mandates highlight the complex and divisive nature of implementing public health measures during a pandemic. While proponents of vaccine mandates argue that they are necessary to protect public health, opponents raise concerns about individual rights and government overreach.
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USPS workers
In September 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order requiring all federal employees and contractors to be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, this mandate did not apply to USPS workers. The United States Postal Service is part of the executive branch and is operated by federal workers, but it is an independent agency.
However, it is important to note that employees who are not vaccinated due to a disability or religious belief are exempt from this mandate. Employers must determine if the unvaccinated employee presents a significant risk of harm to health or safety that cannot be reduced through reasonable accommodation.
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Disciplinary action
Federal employees in the US were required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 following an Executive Order issued by President Biden in September 2021. This mandate covered several million workers, including contractors and employees of the executive branch.
The mandate included a religious exemption, but this was controversial as some agencies were found to be compiling databases of employees seeking this exemption. The mandate was also met with legal challenges, including the Feds for Medical Freedom v. Biden lawsuit, which argued that the mandate violated constitutional rights and delayed religious accommodations.
Employees who refused to be vaccinated faced disciplinary action, including the possibility of being fired. However, the disciplinary process was not always straightforward and could be lengthy. Agencies were advised to initially take a ""carrot approach", explaining the benefits of the vaccine and how to get vaccinated. If an employee still refused, managers were to follow the disciplinary process outlined in their collective bargaining agreements. This often included warnings, letters of reprimand, or suspensions before dismissal. Employees generally had 30 days to respond to a proposed disciplinary action, and there was no deadline for a final decision to be made.
In August 2025, the OPM ordered federal agencies to expunge COVID-19 vaccine records, including references to vaccine status and compliance issues from personnel records. This move was intended to protect employees' medical privacy and ensure that employment decisions were not influenced by pandemic-era biases.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, President Biden issued an Executive Order in September 2021 requiring all federal employees and contractors to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Yes, there are exemptions for workers seeking religious or medical exemptions from vaccination.
Federal workers who don't comply will be referred to their agencies' human resources departments for counseling and discipline, which may include the possibility of being fired.
Yes, USPS workers are required to be vaccinated or take a weekly COVID-19 test, but this is not under the executive order for federal workers. Instead, it falls under the mandate for large companies.
