I recently graduated college in a STEM field. I live in California, and I am looking for work. Now that Joe Biden has set his January 4 deadline for the COVID vaccine mandate for companies, I’m racking my brains as what I should do. I hope that someone here can give me some advice. I heard that a federal court in Louisiana halted the vaccine mandates, though I have a bad feeling that this won’t be the last we see of the federal mandate. Not yet, at least. I heard that Biden is ignoring the ruling, which I am not particularly surprised to hear. Here are some options that I was considering.
Option 1: I could keep applying to jobs like normal and just choosing to not apply to employers that state that vaccines are mandatory.
Option 2: I could wait a week or two before applying to jobs to see which employers have decided they want to implement vaccine mandates.
Option 3: I could wait until the January 4 deadline before applying to jobs again in order to see which companies are complying with the mandate. During this time, I might try to improve a skill that I can use for a side hustle in the future.
Option 4: I can keep applying to jobs, but only those with fewer than 100 employees. I’m not sure about this one since I heard the Biden is going to extend his mandate to all companies in the future, not just those with 100 or more employees.
Option 5: I can apply to jobs that only do remote work or to jobs out of my state. I live in California, unfortunately. Leaving the state is only feasible if I have a source of income. It’s difficult enough to get a job within my state. I would imagine that getting a job elsewhere would even harder, especially since I recently graduate college and have never had a full-time job.
Option 6: I can wait until the mandate has been found unconstitutional by SCOTUS. I don’t know how reliable this is. SCOTUS might make a ruling before 2021 ends or halfway through 2022, for all I know. And if it’s found unconstitutional, I don’t know if employers here in California will stop mandating vaccines.
Another thing I should mention is that I voluntarily got vaccinated already, so I don’t have to worry about being forced to get a vaccine. I just don’t want to work for an employer who forces others to get vaccinated.
Is there way to determine which companies impose vaccine and mask mandates on their employees? I know that some of them simply say so in the job description. Other companies don’t mention it, but is there a way to determine if the mandates are still being imposed? In California, most companies likely enforce mask mandates. I don’t know about the vaccine mandate, though. Any advice on this subject would be appreciated.
Furthermore, there is a very high probability that I will be flying to another country in January for a month to get a medical procedure done and to visit aging family members. I heard that vaccinations are required to fly internationally, correct me if I’m wrong. I might not try to get a job before my trip. If I manage to get a job before January, I will likely end up rescheduling and not going.
They will mandate boosters very soon. You will have to continue to get shots.
Leave California. Not just because of this, but for many reason. Doesn't matter how feasible it is. You're young and should get a start in a saner place.
I won't even set foot in that state.