The full 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on June 27 said it will reconsider President Joe Biden's executive order requiring federal employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, setting aside a panel decision in April that had given the green light to the executive order. We've gathered articles on the news from SHRM Online and other media outlets.

Millions Potentially Affected

Biden said in September that he would require about 3.5 million government workers to get vaccinated unless there were a religious or medical accommodation, or face discipline including termination. Most federal workers were vaccinated by December but some opposition remained.

(Reuters)

Challengers of the Requirement

Those challenging the requirement—the group Feds for Medical Freedom and a union representing some Homeland Security Department employees—had said they would take their appeal to the Supreme Court if the 5th Circuit had rejected its request for a rehearing by the full appeals court.

(Government Executive)

Pursuing Administrative Remedies

The vaccine requirement for federal employees was put on hold after a district judge in Texas blocked the directive in January. In a 2-1 order on April 7, a 5th Circuit panel had reversed the district judge's ruling and dismissed the lawsuit against the vaccination directive in decision. In the opinion, now vacated, the appeals court panel said the district judge did not have jurisdiction in the case. Instead, the employees who challenged the...

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