US defence contractors get more time to meet vaccination mandate

Employees of US federal government contractors, including defence companies, will receive almost an additional month to comply with a mandate that they be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, the Biden administration announced on 4 November.

Instead of the original deadline of 8 December, contractor employees now have until 4 January to meet the requirement. The change is intended to make the deadline consistent with requirements for other private-sector workers, the White House said.

Some defence contractors, including Leidos and Northrop Grumman, have said they are trying to comply with the mandate but are concerned that they might be forced to lay off workers who refuse to get vaccinated.

Mike Petters, president and CEO of Huntington Ingalls Industries, said that roughly 75% of his workforce is vaccinated and that his company is consulting with its government customers on how to implement the mandate.

“Our ambition is to get as many of our employees vaccinated as we possibly can because we're committed to a safe workplace and we think that's the best way to do it,“ Petters told analysts on 4 November.

Eric DeMarco, president and CEO of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, told analysts on 3 November that the vaccination requirement has fuelled “disruptions”, including resignations and retirements, at his company and its subcontractors and customers. He said Kratos is managing the situation “to the best of our ability”.