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OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) has issued a temporary standard that requires employers with over 100 workers to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations by January 4, 2022. Employees who cannot or choose not to vaccinate themselves have an option to do weekly COVID-19 tests and report results to their employers.
If you’re not sure how to count employees, be advised that remote and part-time employees are included in the total employee count, while independent contractors are not, as they are considered self-employed. That said, employees who work from home or who work solely outside might not be required to be vaccinated, depending on the employer.
Additionally, employers must support their employees’ efforts to get vaccinated. This includes up to four hours paid time to go to a clinic, pharmacy, or pop-up location to receive the vaccine, and paid sick leave for side effects caused by the vaccination.
While some are pushing back against this mandate through legal means, in the interim the School Superintendent Association is spreading the word to K-12 schools, as the mandate is currently being upheld. Schools will need to document their employees’ vaccination statuses, much like the required process for the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine we’re familiar with, and most schools require its employees to report positive COVID-19 test results (while respecting individual privacy) in order to keep the community informed of possible exposure.
If you have questions about your employer’s policies regarding COVID-19 vaccination mandates, contact your human resources department or your school’s administration directly. If you are looking for a way to manage COVID screening and vaccination records, check out how SchoolInfo can help!
Please remember to stay safe, take care of yourself, and take care of others.