To mandate or not to mandate? That is the question many employers and professional associations are wrestling with these days; and everyone is scrambling to create a policy. But what should go into it?
If your organization has determined to mandate vaccines:
- Clearly identify the scope of the policy and what employees it applies to. If it doesn’t extend to remote workers, state this outright.
- Include the rationale for making the policy mandatory.
- Clearly identify the deadline by which employees must be fully vaccinated.
- Include details about the dates when vaccines will be available and at what locations.
- If employees are expected to get vaccines through a community-based third party, include information about where they can get the vaccine. State that the employer will pay for the cost of the vaccination.
- Communicate that time spent getting vaccinated in compensable.
- Clearly state the potential consequences for anyone who fails to get vaccinated and doesn’t get an approved exemption by stated deadlines.
If your organization isn’t mandating vaccines:
- Consider issuing a written policy encouraging people to get vaccinated and identifying vaccination sites available/accessible to employees.
- Consider a written policy that requires employees to disclose their vaccination status. Identify if employees must self-attest to vaccination status or provide proof of immunization.
