The Met Council’s COVID-19 Leave Policy will no longer be available after Sept. 17. Moving forward, employees need to use personal leave or work with their supervisors to manage work absences through flexibility in scheduling.
The federal law providing us the authority and funding to establish COVID-19 leave was not renewed and expired at the end of 2020. We continued offering the leave to employees this year, however, as the support was still needed and we did not know how long the pandemic conditions would last or whether the federal government would renew the leave. Now, with vaccines widely available to the public and one receiving full FDA approval, the need for this leave has diminished and we are sunsetting the policy. Any unused Emergency Sick Pay also expires with the ending of this policy.
We know that this might present challenges as you manage your schedule with your supervisor and navigate the emergence of COVID-19 variants and community concerns. We continue to focus on creating safe work environments for employees, while doing our part to reduce community spread of the COVID-19 virus. We encourage you to work with your supervisors to address your concerns. You may also use the online COVID-19 form to share your questions and concerns.
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Reminder: Employees must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 11 or get weekly testing
In order to report onsite for work, Met Council employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 11 or they will need to get weekly COVID-19 tests and test negative. The Met Council and its operating divisions will be following state guidance that requires anyone who is currently working onsite – including teleworkers who plan to transition back to the office in the coming weeks – must be fully vaccinated or test negative.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have determined that individuals are fully vaccinated if one of the following conditions are met:
- Two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose COVID-19 vaccination series approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the World Health Organization (WHO)
- Two weeks after a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine approved by the FDA or the WHO
The Met Council pandemic planning teams are still working through the specifics of how this process will be administered. We will communicate details in the coming weeks about providing proof of vaccination, obtaining a COVID-19 test and providing results, religious or personal medical exemptions, and more.
Schedule appointments soon to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 11
Employees who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 have the next six weeks to obtain the vaccine. With vaccinations that require two shots, the waiting period between shots is 21 days for the Pfizer vaccine and 28 days for the Moderna vaccine. If you begin the process by Aug. 27, you could be fully vaccinated by Oct. 1 with the Pfizer vaccine and by Oct. 8 with Moderna.
Review the tools in the COVID-19 update email to help find vaccination opportunities near you.
Vaccine appointments are available on Mondays and Thursdays at both Well@Work clinics; appointments are required, and masks must be worn at all times in the clinics. You can also schedule an appointment at one of the state’s Community Vaccination Program sites.
FDA approves Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for ages 16+
Earlier this week, the Pfizer vaccine became the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The two-dose vaccine is now fully approved for individuals 16 years of age and older, and it continues to be available under emergency use authorization for children aged 12 to 15. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines continue to be available to the public under emergency use authorizations.
The Pfizer vaccine is available at the Met Council's Well@Work clinics.
According to the FDA, "While this and other vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous, scientific standards for emergency use authorization, as the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, the public can be very confident that [the Pfizer] vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product."
Reminder: Masks required inside Met Council facilities
Earlier this month, Met Council leaders reinstated the mask requirement for all facilities. All employees who are inside Met Council facilities must wear a face covering, regardless of vaccination status.
This applies to all Met Council employees, officers, Council members, contractors, vendors, and volunteers when in the workplace or public service environment. We are recommending that visitors wear masks.
To support this requirement, our previous Face Coverings Procedure (PDF) is once again in effect, which includes requirements to practice physical distancing. Employees who don't follow the procedure may be subject to disciplinary action, as specified in the procedure.
Read the Aug. 5 COVID-19 update email for details.
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