The vaccine mandate may not apply to your Uber driver or Big Mac server

Don't assume that the workers you come across every day will have to get a Covid vaccine or weekly Covid tests, despite the federal rules announced by President Joe Biden this past week.

In addition to those 80 million workers, there are another 43 million employees who work at companies that employ fewer than 100 people — and who are not covered by that federal mandate. For example, most fast food restaurants are independently-owned franchises, not company-owned locations. So although some franchisees own multiple shops with lots of employees, many own a single restaurant with a headcount that exempts them from the rule.