Vaccine mandate spawns new fear: finding and keeping workers

By TOM KRISHER and BARBARA ORTUTAY
Associated Press

The new federal vaccine requirement for large companies has raised concerns over whether it will now be even harder to retain workers or find new ones. President Joe Biden announced sweeping new orders Thursday requiring employers with more than 100 workers to mandate vaccinations against COVID-19 or offer weekly testing. The new rules could affect as many as 100 million Americans. Even companies that favor Biden’s decision as a way to stop the coronavirus from spreading further are afraid that vaccination-averse workers will leave, or job seekers won’t apply for their openings. Some workers may also switch to smaller companies where shots in the arm aren’t required.