Dear UMass President’s Office Colleagues,
This email is a follow up to the email you received from President Meehan (below).
President’s Office employees must be fully vaccinated by September 13, 2021, which is the first day of the UMPO Hybrid Work Pilot. This vaccination requirement applies to all employees who are classified as fully on-site, regular reporting, or on-site as needed as defined by the Hybrid Work Pilot Guidelines. Please note, on-site as needed employees will need to be fully vaccinated by September 13th, even if they are not required to be on-site on that date.
Proof of Vaccination
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) “COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card” that you receive when you are vaccinated will serve as proof of your vaccination. Within the next few days, we will provide direction as to how you can provide proof of vaccination in a manner that is confidential and as convenient as possible.
Definition of Fully Vaccinated and Grace Period
According to the CDC, a person is considered fully vaccinated:
- Two weeks after receiving the second dose in a two-dose series (such as Moderna or Pfizer), or
- Two weeks after receiving a single-dose vaccine (such as Johnson & Johnson/Janssen).
Please note: To be fully vaccinated by September 13 with the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, individuals who have not yet begun the process would need to do so by next week. Unvaccinated individuals choosing the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine would need to receive their dose by August 30.” On a case-by-case basis, the President’s Office may grant a limited grace period for compliance to an employee who has already received their first shot but has not reached fully vaccinated status (meaning they have not yet received their second shot and/or passed the two-week post vaccination waiting period.) Workplace access or other restrictions may be in effect for employees in this status.
Medical or Religious Exemptions
An employee may request an exemption to the vaccination requirement based on the existence of medical contraindication to vaccination. In addition, an employee may request an exemption to the vaccination requirement based on a sincere religious belief. In both cases, an employee will be required to submit documentation to support the request for an exemption. Employees who secure an exemption may be required to take additional precautions in the workplace and may need to get tested for the COVID-19 virus on a regularly scheduled basis.
Any employee who may seek either type of exemption, or who will need a grace period as defined above, should contact Jacquie Kittler at jkittler@umassp.edu.
Access to Vaccination
The COVID-19 vaccine is now widely available. Listed below is information about how and where you can access the COVID-19 vaccine. If you are not yet vaccinated and need assistance with accessing the vaccine, please contact Jacquie Kittler, who will be happy to assist you.
Local Pharmacies (such as CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid)
The Human Resources Department will provide more detailed information regarding this requirement in the next few days. Employees who have questions are welcomed to come to either of the following question and answer sessions.
Thursday, August 5th, 11a-12p
Friday, August 6th, 11a- 12p
Thank you.
John Dunlap
Chief HR Officer