Most federal employees who are fully vaccinated can take their masks off when they come back to the office, according to guidance from the Office of Personnel Management. However, each agency and location may have different rules, and the rules for contractors are less clear on masks and vaccines.
- Stephanie Kostro, Executive Vice President for Policy at the Professional Services Council, said the government has sent mixed messages about vaccines and contractors and it is unclear whether access to certain facilities might depend on vaccination status.
- Kostro said the lack of a federal vaccine mandate has led to hesitation, as it is usually up to state and local governments to set vaccine requirements.
- The fact that some contractors work physically alongside civil servants while others are completely remote complicates the conversation, Kostro pointed out.
