Just saw this in our university communications:

OSHA Vaccine Rule for Private Employers Advances. On October 12, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) sent an emergency regulation on the COVID-19 vaccine/testing mandate for private companies to the Office of Information & Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for review prior to publication. The emergency regulation implements President Biden’s September 9, 2021 order directing OSHA to promulgate rules requiring businesses with at least 100 employees to mandate workers be fully vaccinated or tested weekly for COVID-19. Though OIRA review can take months, the office is under considerable pressure from the Administration to work quickly. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/09/09/executive-order-on-requiring-coronavirus-disease-2019-vaccination-for-federal-employees/

I work for an Ivy League university. I am great at my job. Help bring in millions of dollars a year. Lead an incredibly high-functioning team of 4. But if I am not fully vaxxed by Dec 8, I will be “removed from the payroll”. Don’t-cha love that euphemism? I am waiting for details on religious or medical exemptions but on principle I don’t think I should have to provide one. This is my line. My hill. Wish me luck.

Checking out at Ollie’s, maskless, chatting with the bandana wearing clerk. She was cool. Old man sidles within 2 feet of me, wearing a mask. I was checking out with my new tap debit card, talking about how cool this modern tech is. Clerk says, “Yeah, I heard they were talking about implanting a chip in our finger.” I cringed. Old man asks clerk if she is vaxxed and she says, “yes, sir.” Then he asks me if I am. I say, “I don’t talk about my personal medical information with strangers.” He says, “Well, you know, the vax has a chip in it, and I got vaxxed, so there’s a chip in me and I am glad for it. They can track me and that’s fine because I know the Big Guy is looking out for me!” I said, “Who? Bill Gates?” And I grabbed my bags and sauntered out.