Democrats’ $1.75 trillion bill could massively increase fines against employers violating vaccine mandate

The Democrats’ $1.75 trillion social spending bill would massively increase fines imposed on employers for occupational hazards. President Biden’s vaccine mandate will be enforced through such penalties.

Businesses with over 100 employees must ensure by Jan. 4 that their workers are either fully vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing, according to the mandate, which was finalized Thursday. Fines, enforced through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), could be as high as $14,000 per violation.

But the Democrats’ Build Back Better legislation would increase OSHA penalties tenfold from their initial levels – up to $70,000 for "serious violations" and $700,000 for willful or repeated violations. Forbes previously reported the proposed OSHA changes included in a previous version of the bill in September.