88% of Wisconsin Businesses Expect to Lose Workers Under Biden Vaccine Mandate

WMC’s survey states that 88% of businesses said there would be disruptions to their operations and 84% said a lack of testing supplies for the required weekly tests would make it nearly impossible to test all non-vaccinated employees. Wisconsin’s largest business group says almost every employer in the state expects to see some workers quit if they are forced to get the coronavirus vaccine. Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce said a new survey of employers shows that 88% of Wisconsin businesses expect to lose workers if President Joe Biden’s private sector COVID-19 vaccine mandate is put into effect. “If enacted, most employers would not be able to comply with the rigorous requirements and, to make matters worse, workers would end up walking off the job,” WMC’s Kurt Bauer said. “For Wisconsin businesses, not only is this mandate unlawful, it is unworkable.” Bauer said WMC asked 100 businesses across the state about the president’s proposed mandate, and 88 of them said it would cost them workers. Drexel Building Supply in New Berlin is one of the 100. Drexel President Joel Fleischmann said workers would find a way to avoid having to get a shot that they don’t want. “A significant number of Drexel Building Supply team members will either quit and go to an employer with fewer than 100 employees or will simply retire,” Fleischmann said. Bauer said businesses in Wisconsin worry about more than just losing workers. WMC’s survey states that 88% of businesses said there would be disruptions to their operations and 84% said a lack of testing supplies for the required weekly tests would make it nearly impossible to test all non-vaccinated employees. “Wisconsin’s workforce shortage continues to be compounded by President Biden’s policies,” Bauer added. States, businesses and other groups filed 34 lawsuits against the Biden administration's mandate that private sector businesses with 100 or more employees require workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or face weekly testing. The policy also would impose nearly $14,000 in fines per employee if businesses are caught letting their workers skirt the directive. Ruling on one of the lawsuits, a federal appeals court last week ordered the Biden administration to halt its implementation until further notice, citing "grave" constitutional concerns. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Wednesday it is temporarily suspending enforcement of the private sector COVID-19 vaccine mandate as the cases work their way through the court system.