Biden calls on all US employers to pay full-time workers for time missed due to vaccines

• Joe Biden on Wednesday called on all US employers to give their workers paid time off to get vaccinated.
• The president also reaffirmed his commitment to a paid-leave tax credit to help small businesses offset the cost of the time off.
• This comes ahead of Biden’s upcoming announcement that the US met his goal of 200 million shots in 100 days.
• See more stories on Insider’s business page.

President Joe Biden will announce on Thursday that the US met his vaccination goal of 200 million shots in 100 days. And on Wednesday, he announced new plans to ensure every American employee can get a shot.

A White House statement said that Biden is calling for every employer in America to provide paid time off to get vaccinated, which would include the time it takes to recover from any of the vaccine’s side effects. He also reaffirmed his commitment to a tax credit that will offset the cost for small businesses with fewer than 500 employees to provide full pay for workers who want to get a vaccine.

“Providing paid time off for vaccinations is an investment in the safety, productivity and health of an employer’s own workforce and their community,” the statement said. “No working person in this country should lose a single dollar from their paycheck to take time to get the shot or recover from it.”

The paid-leave tax credit was included in Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus law, and it ensures that “no small businesses or non-profits will lose a single dollar by providing such paid leave to workers receiving a vaccination.”

According to the White House, the credit will offset the cost for small businesses for up to $511 per day of paid sick leave offered between April 1 and September 30, and it will apply to nearly half of all private sectors in the country.

And along with the tax credit, Biden’s wants employers to help employees get vaccinated by making “commitments to provide accurate and timely information and incentivize all Americans to get vaccinated.” Those could include discounts for vaccinated people, product giveaways, or promotions.

The Internal Revenue Service released a fact sheet on Wednesday with instructions for employers on how to claim the paid leave credit on their quarterly tax filings. 

Biden pledged in a March press conference that 200 million shots will be administered by the end of April, and on Monday, every American aged 16 and older became eligible for a vaccine.

“We have enough of it, you need to be protected, and you in turn need to protect your neighbors and your family,” Biden said in a video on Monday. “So please, get the vaccine.”

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