GOV/MIL Federal vax deadline is November 22

helen

Panic Sex Lady
Last week the Biden administration instituted a mandate that all federal employees be vaccinated against COVID-19, eliminating the previous exception in the case of workers who agree to wear masks and submit to regular testing.

President Biden signed two executive orders, one requiring federal workers to be vaccinated with limited exceptions for religious or medical accommodations, and another doing the same for employees of federal contractors.

On Monday, the White House Safer Workforce Taskforce began to update its guidance to federal agencies to reflect the new policies, announcing that the deadline for federal workers to be fully vaccinated is Nov. 22. If a federal worker has not complied with the vaccine mandate by that date, he or she may be subject to progressive discipline, White House officials said



 

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie / FJB!
Someone probably sees it as a win-win. A certain number of employees will leave, so they won't have to be paid, and a certain number will die, so they won't be drawing a pay check, either. It's one way to reduce the number of people who work for the government.
 

db cooper

Resident Secret Squirrel
Someone probably sees it as a win-win. A certain number of employees will leave, so they won't have to be paid, and a certain number will die, so they won't be drawing a pay check, either. It's one way to reduce the number of people who work for the government.
You have an interesting perspective. Those refusing the shots are likely conservative or thinkers, and the fed gov wants neither as an employee. Those holding their ground will have no choice but to find something else to do. The good news is they will likely live longer.

Those that already shot up, and getting the boosters, IMO, have shorter life expectancy. And such people are most likely the die hard lefties.

So really, this mandate is a win win in multiple arenas.

Now if our military and federal employees start to thin out due to covid or the shots, there is a ready solution at hand to keep our military bases fully staffed. Its called outsourcing. The most likely candidate would be the PLA.
 

Countrymouse

Country exile in the city
Right after reading this article on the site in the OP, I found the article below on the same site.

The most IRONIC sentence I found in the ENTIRE article--in fact in this ENTIRE farce---was this:

"...federal statute .... prohibits lying to the federal government."


But THEY---well, you don't need me to finish that sentence.

The article:


Feds Could Be Fired, Imprisoned for Lying About Vaccination Status
Unions may have to bargain over vaccination policy implementation after the fact.
August 6, 2021
By Eric Katz and Erich Wagner


Federal employees who misrepresent their COVID-19 vaccination status to their agencies face firings and potential criminal prosecution, the Biden administration warned on Friday.

The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force—a group President Biden created by executive order that is led by the White House, General Services Administration and Office of Management and Budget—confirmed in new guidance agencies would not initially ask for proof of vaccination, but they could follow up for documentation if they receive “a good faith allegation that strongly suggests” an employee lied on their attestation form. Those “certification of vaccination” forms will soon go out via email to all federal employees, with an Office of Management and Budget official saying that process will begin next week.

While agencies will initially rely on the honor system as it begins asking employees for their vaccination status, the administration made clear there could be consequences for lying.

“Federal employees who make a false statement on the Certification of Vaccination form could be subject to an adverse personnel action, up to and including removal from their position,” the task force said.


It added it “is also a federal crime” to provide false information on the form, pointing to federal statute that prohibits lying to the federal government. Employees who misrepresent their vaccination status could also lose their access to classified information, the administration said. On their certification forms, employees will be further met with the message, “I understand that a knowing and willful false statement on this form can be punished by fine or imprisonment or both.”

Most federal employees are not yet facing a requirement to be vaccinated. Those who do not attest they are vaccinated, or who decline to answer, will be subject to weekly tests, mask requirements, physical distancing policies and restrictions on travel. In areas with high transmission of COVID-19, which currently includes Washington, D.C., even vaccinated employees must wear masks.


A template email for agencies to use when sending the certification form to employees lays out those policies.

“These requirements take steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to protect the health and safety of our workforce,” the email reads.

The task force stated that the new vaccination requirements constitute a government-wide policy, meaning unions cannot negotiate over the policy itself, although they may bargain over how it is implemented by each agency. But how that happens in practice is complicated by the fact that some federal workers continue to report to work sites, while others work remotely.

“There may be collective bargaining obligations over the impact and implementation of the agency model safety principles and CDC guidelines (including with respect to the Certification of Vaccination form),” the task force wrote. “Implementation of the principles and guidelines is essential to protect the health and safety of all federal employees, onsite contractors and individuals interacting with the federal workforce in federal buildings, in federally controlled worksites and on federal lands.”

For workforces that have been working from a maximum telework stance since the beginning of the pandemic, the task force urged agencies to bargain over “impact and implementation” before they move forward with reopening federal offices. But feds who report to the office before those negotiations are complete despite working remotely will have to comply with the new rules and attest their vaccination status or submit to masking and regular testing for COVID-19.

At workplaces where federal employees have been unable to telework, the task force anticipated that implementing the new policies constitute an emergency, meaning that in many cases, unions likely will only be able to bargain on a post-implementation basis.

“Since agencies need to act quickly due to the COVID-19 emergency and to protect the health and safety of onsite employees, contractors and visitors, agencies are strongly encouraged to begin communicating with the appropriate union representatives as soon as possible and otherwise satisfy any applicable collective bargaining obligations under the law at the earliest opportunity, including on a post-implementation basis where appropriate.”

National Treasury Employees Union National President Tony Reardon noted that the penalties for lying on the vaccine certification form "closely track" with other disclosure forms required to work in government. "The release of this form and the related guidance will aid our discussions with agencies about exactly how the new vaccine and testing protocols will be implemented on the federal workforce, and when," he said in a statement. "[It] is clear the administration is moving quickly to implement this new vaccination and testing protocol on the federal workforce, and NTEU is in the process of bargaining the implementation to protect federal employee rights and make sure they are fully informed about their decisions."

Agencies should protect employees’ responses to vaccination forms in accordance with the Privacy Act, the task force said, but in many cases that will include sharing it with employees’ supervisors as they will have to enforce mask and other requirements. The task force has still not spelled out details on how the testing program will be operationalized, including where tests will be available, who will conduct them and how they will be processed. An OMB official said employees who refuse testing will face "progressive discipline," as they would for refusing to comply with any agency policy.
Employees who are not initially vaccinated will have the opportunity to submit a new form if they later receive the vaccine. Employees can check one of four boxes on the form: that they are fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, have not been vaccinated or that they decline to respond. Even employees who are teleworking full time must complete the form. Visitors to federal buildings will also have to complete a form, unless they are there to “obtain a public service or benefit.”

This story has been updated with additional information from OMB.
 

Night Breeze

Veteran Member
May be subject to and way out in November. Gives them some wiggle room but I believe as the sate approaches Joe will change it so the poor federal workers will not suffer during Christmas. Then the cold winter comes along, ya-da-daa-di-daa
 

mecoastie

Veteran Member
The actual must have the jab by date is November 8 for your last jab to meet the requirement of fully vaxxed by 22 Nov. I suspect once that date passes you will see stuff move swiftly. Before the 8th and after the Vax Cert paperwork is completed those that have not received the vax will be offered multiple chances to get it as well as several counseling sessions. All clearly documented. After the 8th then you will most likely be terminated on the 22nd. There is a slim chance people may be put on LWOP after that and given an additional opportunity to get vaxxed and come back. Union wont do shit for you after you are terminated. They dont care. All guess on my part.
 

desert_fox

Threadkiller
I just got turned down from a Federal Agronomy position that I have been waiting 6 months to see if my transcripts give me enough credits to qualify (even though I have 15 years experience working a Agronomy position). I am OK not having to worry about the mandate issue.
 
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