Secretary of Labor v. Walmart Stores East

# Secretary of Labor v. Walmart Stores East **What Happened** The federal government's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Walmart for failing to provide hepatitis B vaccinations to its SIRT team members. These employees work with bloodborne pathogens—disease-causing materials in blood—and federal safety rules require employers to offer this protective vaccination to such workers at no cost. **What the Court Decided** The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld OSHA's citations against Walmart. The court agreed that Walmart violated bloodborne pathogen regulations by not providing the hepatitis B vaccine to workers who needed it. Walmart's request to overturn the decision was denied. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling reinforces that employers must provide vaccinations and safety protections to workers exposed to bloodborne pathogens. Employees in healthcare, cleaning, and other at-risk jobs have a legal right to this protection. The decision strengthens workers' ability to hold employers accountable when safety standards are ignored.