Examining the Relationship Between Government and Private Business: Managing the COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

Alexandra Sterling

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, new vaccines were created. In general, United States citizens understand and appreciate the value of preventative and routine vaccinations. However, the COVID-19 vaccine’s speedy research, development, and implementation—combined with general disinformation about the pandemic—resulted in a cautious and somewhat resistant attitude from the public. In September 2021, when President Joe Biden mandated that all private businesses with more than 100 employees require the COVID-19 vaccination, controversial opinions and confusion from citizens—employees—ensued. In January of this year, the Supreme Court ruled that the vaccine mandate was unconstitutional. The ruling was a clarification on the authority of the federal government and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) agency. Beyond summarizing the legality of the vaccine mandate, this presentation will identify the mandate’s effects on businesses and employees in South Carolina. Further, this presentation will address strategies for upper-level managers to retain employees who are against such mandates.

• Alexandra “Lexi” Sterling is a senior business administration major with an emphasis in management and marketing from Monetta, S.C. She completed her breakaway experience within the South Carolina Washington Semester Program interning in U.S. Representative Jeff Duncan’s Office in Washington D.C. during the fall 2021 semester. Lexi will graduate from Lander University’s Honors College in May 2022, and she plans to move to Greenville, S.C. after graduation to pursue a career in banking and finance.