The Trump administration has moved to dismantle the health policies from the Biden era, instructing federal agencies to eliminate records related to COVID-19 vaccine statuses among employees. This information comes from a memo acquired recently.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is set to send out a memo on Friday aimed at clearing employee records of COVID-19 vaccination details, including any past infractions regarding vaccine mandates or requests for exemptions. Additionally, the memo indicates that federal entities should no longer factor in an employee’s COVID-19 vaccination status during hiring processes.
“Things spiraled during the pandemic, leading to federal employees facing job loss or penalties for simply making personal health choices. That was never acceptable,” the memo states. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we’re ensuring that the excesses of that time won’t have enduring effects on federal staff.”
The memo also noted that a nonprofit organization, Feds for Freedom, reached a settlement with the Department of Justice on Wednesday. This settlement mandates that the OPM erase records related to employees’ vaccination statuses. About 9,000 federal employees had previously filed a lawsuit in December 2021 in response to a Biden directive to collect such information, resulting in a court injunction in 2022 that temporarily halted federal operations. The Biden administration formally rescinded the vaccine mandate in May 2023.
In 2021, shortly after the pandemic started, Biden signed an executive order directing federal agencies to require the COVID-19 vaccine for their workers. With the cancellation of that order, the OPM later sent out a memorandum instructing HR managers to review job postings.
The current OPM guidance emphasizes that federal agencies can’t factor in vaccine exemption requests or an individual’s COVID-19 vaccination history when making employment-related decisions—including hiring, promotions, or terminations.
