Amtrak suspends vaccine mandate for employees

Amtrak suspended its coronavirus vaccine mandate for employees following a federal court’s decision to halt President Biden’s health directive. 

In a memo to employees on Tuesday, Amtrak Chief Executive Bill Flynn said employees could opt to get tested weekly instead of getting the vaccine. 

Biden’s mandate required all federal contractors to get the coronavirus vaccine or face termination. 

A federal court halted the mandate pending litigation, causing some companies to rescind the policy.

“Recently a federal district court decision halted the enforcement of the Executive Order for federal contractors. This caused the company to reevaluate our policy and to address the uncertainty about the federal requirements that apply to Amtrak,” the memo from Flynn states. 

The requirement could go back into place depending on the outcome of litigation against Biden’s mandate. The company said no disruptions are expected in service now that the policy has changed. 

The memo states less than 500 employees are not in compliance with Amtrak’s vaccine policy, with 95.7 percent of employees either fully vaccinated or having an approved accommodation. 

I added that if those with one dose of the coronavirus vaccine are counted, 97.3 percent of employees are either vaccinated or have an accommodation. 

“Amtrak will continue to update its vaccine policy as needed and follow the latest health and safety guidance. We believe these most recent changes are both appropriate and prudent, given the recent court decision and the continuing and evolving pandemic,” the memo stated.