LYNN — In an internal memo sent to city employees on Friday, Mayor Jared Nicholson said the city is implementing COVID-19 vaccine verification and testing requirements starting next Tuesday, Feb. 22.
Nicholson said the requirements are only for employees hired by and working for the city — not for employees of private businesses.
“We looked at other cities and towns and we saw that a lot of their employees and employers took this step,” Nicholson said. “We felt that this was really important since vaccines are the best way to protect yourself from the pandemic.”
Employees who do not follow the new requirements are subject to a three-strike disciplinary-action system. The first incident of non-compliance will result in a written warning, the second violation will result in a five-day suspension, and the third will result in termination.
Nicholson said he consulted with the Lynn Public Health Department, Personnel Department, heads of all other city departments, and city unions, and solicited input from the public when drafting the requirements.
Some unions are still in the process of collective bargaining and the requirement has not been ratified for them yet, he said.
“We have been committed to the collective-bargaining process and we are still negotiating with some unions,” Nicholson said. “For the groups who are non-union departments and unions who have finalized agreements, the requirement will go into effect on Feb. 22.”
Employees who are fully vaccinated are required to complete an electronic waiver via the Employee Self Service (ESS) system that allows for the city’s Personnel Department and Public Health Department to confidentially verify that they are fully vaccinated, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.
The CDC defines a “fully-vaccinated” individual as someone who has had either one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, with three to four weeks elapsing since the date of the applicable dose.
Employees will have until Feb. 28 to complete the electronic waiver through the ESS. The waiver will exempt the employee from the testing policy and must be completed.
Those who are not fully vaccinated by CDC guidelines by Feb. 28 will be subject to a testing policy starting on March 2.
Under the policy, three weekly rapid-antigen tests are to be reported by these employees via a secure portal administered by the Personnel Department. Testing will be conducted on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; this portal will be open 24 hours a day on the testing days. Employees are required to submit their test results with a photo for verification.
Tests will be provided every other Monday by the Personnel Department for City Hall employees and Inspectional Services Department custodians, and by the chiefs of the Department of Public Works, Public Library, and Police and Fire departments for their employees.
Employees who test positive for COVID-19 during the testing protocol will be exempt from testing for 90 days unless they become symptomatic; if symptoms appear, these employees should follow CDC guidelines for quarantine and isolation.
Employees who are on non-COVID-19 sick or administrative leave will be exempt from testing until their return to work.
Under the state’s COVID-19 Emergency Sick Leave Program, those who are not fully vaccinated are eligible for up to 40 hours of paid sick leave. Those who are fully vaccinated are eligible for up to 80 hours of paid sick leave.
