The City Council approved a resolution today establishing a new COVID-19 Safe Workplace Policy that rescinds the City’s vaccination and testing alternative policy and extends COVID-19-related leave policies through the end of 2023.
The policy comes as the City continues to move toward a phased end to the local public health emergency declared by Mayor Jacob Frey on March 16, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Employees who have not provided proof of vaccination no longer have to test weekly.
The policy will allow City leaders to adjust City operations in a timely manner to protect the health and safety of City employees based on the most up-to-date guidance from public health officials.
“Since early 2020, we have remained nimble, we have followed the data, and we have put the safety of our employees first,” said Mayor Jacob Frey. “This change allows us to heed the advice of our public health experts, and then act on it fast.”
“The health and safety of our employees is our number one priority,” said City Council President Andrea Jenkins. “Everyone deserves a safe workplace, and we need to ensure our policies reflect that. As we move on to our next phase in COVID safety, today’s action solidifies policies that we know are working while creating the flexibility to react to changes in guidance as we move forward.”
“This resolution puts together a policy that is broad, forward-thinking, and allows for future adjustments based on changing guidance,” said Council Vice President Linea Palmisano. “This is our way to be as responsive as possible in the future to changing guidance and the needs to create a healthy work environment.”
Original source can be found here.
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