President Biden's private sector business mandate is 'unprecedented'

President Joe Biden's vaccination mandate for the private and public sector stirred outrage and threats of lawsuits over his 'extraordinary sweeping use of presidential authority to force a medical treatment on workers' as businesses big and small scramble to get clarity on the edict. 

Ethan Brecher, a top labor lawyer and founder of The Law Office of Ethan A. Brecher in New York City, told DailyMail.com in an interview on Friday that he's 'never seen anything like this' in his 30 years of practice. 

'This is a watershed moment in our history - compelling people to take a medical treatment,' he said, adding that he believes it will be challenged in court.  

'The economy depends on companies going back to work, but there are people who are concerned about the vaccine. This mandate is an extraordinary sweeping use of presidential authority to force a medical treatment on workers.' 

Biden’s executive orders announced Thursday require all executive-branch employees, federal contractors and millions of health-care workers to get the jab. Large private employers must either mandate shots or provide weekly testing. 

The language for the mandate is still being finalized by the administration, and some companies fear the new rules will drive be the final nail in their pandemic-hit business. 

'The devil is in the details. Without additional clarification for the business community, employee anxieties and questions will multiply,' Consumer Brands Association, which represents makers of packaged goods, told Bloomberg. 

The National Federation of Independent Business, which advocates for small and independent business owners, said its members will be hit hardest by the vaccine mandate. 

Kevin Kuhlman, Vice President of Federal Government Relations, said in a statement that the pandemic has already hamstrung small and independent businesses - most notably finding and retaining qualified workers. 

The organization's fears are supported by a recent poll conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) - which was published before Biden's announcement - that said 28 percent of employees said they would rather lose their job than get the vaccine.    

The Labor Department order - which covers approximately two-thirds of the 100 million workforce - will require employers with 100 or more workers to provide paid time off to get vaccinated. 

Any business that violates the new rule will face substantial fines, up to $14,000. 

But there's been a hesitancy in some occupations for a host of reasons - chief among them are concerns about side effects, belief that the vaccine isn't needed and distrust of the government, according to a study published in April by MedRxiv. 

While there's been no studies done on vaccination rates among different occupations, MedRxiv researched which occupations were most hesitant. 

Construction workers and repairmen - at 46.4 percent and 42.6 percent, respectively - were the top two occupations who expressed hesitancy. 

Losing frontline workers is also a concern for large companies, such as General Motors Co. and Delta Air Lines Inc.

Both companies issued statements outlining their efforts they’ve made to get employees inoculated but didn’t say whether they endorse the Biden plan, Bloomberg Business reported. 

Other companies, including Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. and Intel Corp., said they're studying it and waiting for more information.  

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said in a statement after Biden's announcement that it 'will carefully review the details of the executive orders and associated regulations.'

The federal entity 'will work to ensure that employers have the resources, guidance, and flexibility necessary to ensure the safety of their employees and customers and comply with public health requirements.'  

The tech industry has led the way for vaccine requirements, with Google instituting its vaccine policy back in July. 

At the time, Google was one of the first major U.S. employers to enforce a vaccination mandate for people returning to the office, and Facebook quick followed suit. 

Jennifer Myers, a spokeswoman for the American Hotel and Lodging Association, told The Washington Post that the organization and 'our members are in the process of reviewing the President’s new guidance and as always we encourage all Americans get vaccinated.' 

Other companies have already embraced vaccination mandates or were moving in that direction. 

Joshua Bolten, president and CEO of the Business Roundtable, a group of chief executives from companies including Amazon, Walmart and Home Depot, said in a statement Thursday that it 'welcomes the Biden Administration's continued vigilance in the fight against COVID.'