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BOSTON - Thursday,
August 12, 2021 - Mayor Kim Janey today announced the City of Boston’s
policy regarding vaccinations for City employees. As an employer of
18,000 workers, the new policy will require employees to report their
COVID-19 vaccination status or submit to weekly testing. Following
conversations with City leadership and municipal unions, Mayor Janey’s
vaccination verification or required testing mandate will be phased in
over two months. The goal of the requirement is to protect the health, safety
and economic recovery of our staff and residents served. Through this
policy, the City seeks to minimize exposure to and transmission of
COVID-19 in the workplace.
“Our purpose is to
protect our employees and the public, and our work is rooted in public
health guidance and based on data and science,” said Mayor Janey. “I am
grateful for the continued collaboration with our municipal unions to
ensure the safety of our entire workforce and the residents we serve.”
The updated policy
applies to all City of Boston employees, onsite contractors and
volunteers who provide services onsite at City worksites, including all
full-time, part-time, seasonal, emergency and probationary workers. If an
employee cannot verify they are fully vaccinated, they are required to
submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test result every seven days. As of August
30, 2021, employees can begin to upload their vaccination verification
information into the Vaccination Verification online portal.
The requirement
will take effect in phases. All employees who provide services to high
priority residents (including but not limited to the Boston Public
Schools, the Boston Centers for Youth & Families, Boston Public
Libraries, Age Strong, Commission on Disabilities) are required to comply
with this policy on or before September 20, 2021. All onsite contractors
and volunteers who provide services to high priority residents at the
Boston Public Schools, the Boston Centers for Youth & Families,
Boston Public Libraries, Age Strong, Commission on Disabilities, and all
employees who provide public-facing services to City residents (including
but not limited to Public Safety, Parks, Inspectional Services Division,
Registry, Parking Clerk) are required to comply with this policy on or
before October 4, 2021. All other City employees, onsite contractors and
volunteers are required to comply with this policy on or before October
18, 2021.
“On behalf of the
educators of the Boston Teachers Union, we support these steps to protect
our students and communities. We look forward to working with the
district and city on the particulars of implementation in regards to
accommodations and exemptions for those who need them,” said Jessica
Tang, President, Boston Teachers Union. “We applaud Mayor Janey for
proactively taking action to ensure the safety of students, the safety of
educators and the safety of the public. This policy feels consistent with
prior policies around vaccinating against other dangerous viruses and
diseases. It is our belief that public health policies like this should
be made with input from those impacted by the policy, and we appreciate
the diligent work Mayor Janey has done with her administration to consider
worker voices in this process, and to do what is best and safest for
Boston as a whole.”
To help ensure
access to vaccinations and testing, both will be offered free of charge
at various times and locations throughout Boston, including at City Hall,
for those who have not yet been vaccinated. A City Hall vaccination
clinic will be available for City employees on August 31. Employees are
encouraged to utilize the City of Boston testing and vaccination websites to find times and locations.
Additionally, the City of Boston offers benefit eligible employees up to
one hour of paid leave during a workday in order to get vaccinated and/or
tested.
To help encourage
vaccination rates among employees, the City will conduct a weekly
lottery, the winner of which will be granted an extra one week of paid
time off. All benefit eligible employees who verify their full
vaccination status during the preceding week will be automatically
entered into the lottery.
This updated
vaccination mandate builds on the City’s previous efforts to keep our
workforce and residents safe, as face coverings continue to be required
in all municipal buildings. Statement: Michelle Wu on
New Mandatory Vaccine Program for City Workers Boston, MA— The following statement can be attributed to Boston City
Councilor At-Large and Mayoral Candidate Michelle Wu:
“I’m glad the Administration has finally answered the call to mandate vaccines for city
workers—but with the Delta variant surging, we need more than half-measures.
City Hall must set out regulations on vaccination for high-risk indoor spaces
like gyms, salons, and restaurants to ensure protections for all our
communities.”
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