By Jen Fifield |Arizona Republic
Phoenix officials say the city had no choice but to require employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19 under a federal order, but many other cities in Maricopa County say they don’t believe the order applies to their workers.
Phoenix employees have about six weeks left to get vaccinated or face repercussions, after City Manager Jeff Barton told employees last month they had to get vaccinated because the city, with numerous federal contracts, is considered a federal contractor. An executive order issued by President Joe Biden in September requires all employees of federal contractors to be vaccinated.
The City Council will discuss the mandate for the first time publicly on Tuesday, including a discussion of legal advice from staff and outside counsel on the topic.
Officials from no other large Maricopa County city or town says they are considering a vaccine requirement for their employees at this time, and many Valley cities do not believe the executive order applies to their workers, according to statements they provided to The Arizona Republic.
The requirement for cities may be different, depending on the type of federal contracts they have. A definitive answer could come over time, as the federal government gets more specific about the rules, and federal courts decide whether they will stick.
The contractor mandate is one of two federal rules that could potentially apply to large Arizona cities. The other, a federal workplace safety rule, requires employees of companies or organizations with more than 100 employees to get vaccinated or get tested regularly.
