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Form available for submitting proof of vaccination

Beginning Oct. 11, in order to report to onsite work, Met Council employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or get weekly COVID-19 tests and test negative. Employees who are vaccinated must submit documentation to Human Resources to verify vaccination status.    The form for submitting proof of vaccination is now available in Employee Self Service (ESS): https://pspess.metc.state.mn.us.    Acceptable forms of proof of vaccination The record must have your name, date of birth, date(s) you received the COVID-19 vaccine, and type of vaccine received. Acceptable proof of vaccination includes: Your COVID-19 vaccination record card from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (received at your vaccination appointment) Immunization record from the Minnesota Department of Health’s Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC) Vaccination record from your doctor’s office How to submit proof of vaccination Before you begin, save an electronic copy of your proof of vaccination where you’ll be able to access it and in one of the following file types: .PDF, .GIF, .PNG, .JPEG, .JPG, .TIFF, or .BMP. Log into ESS and navigate to the form: Main Menu > Self Service > Personal Information > MetC Vaccination Card. Upload a copy of your proof of vaccination, fill out the additional fields regarding your vaccination, and hit "Submit."  Vaccinated employees are asked to complete this form in ESS as soon as possible. Getting an accurate count of vaccinated staff will help the pandemic Incident Command team as they obtain the testing kits for the Oct. 11 start date for staff reporting to work onsite who are not fully vaccinated.   Review the instructions guide for help submitting your proof of vaccination (PDF).   A few notes on the verification process: Do not fill out the form until after you have completed your vaccine series. Completion of the vaccine series means after the first dose for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and after the second dose for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Do not upload an image of your vaccine card after just your first dose of a two-dose series. Human Resources will review your submission. After you submit the form with the attached proof of vaccination, Human Resources will review the information. When HR has approved your submission, you'll receive a confirmation email from the system, and your status in ESS will change from Submitted to Approved. Attachments will not be stored permanently. Please note that the Met Council will delete any files you upload for this vaccination status form once this information is no longer needed as part of our pandemic response. For questions about the vaccination requirement, contact your supervisor or manager, review these all-staff COVID-19 update emails, or submit your question with your name through the online COVID-19 form. For questions about ESS, email ESS.HRIS@metc.state.mn.us.

Weekly testing process details coming soon

Met Council leadership have been working on the detailed process for facilitating regular testing starting Oct. 11 for employees who will not be vaccinated or are unable to be vaccinated.

Initial details on the testing process:

• Multiple methods will be available, including saliva tests or the option to use a HealthPartners clinic.
• The Met Council will be providing no-cost testing options for employees.
• Regardless of the reason for not getting vaccinated, including religious or medical reasons, staff who are not fully vaccinated will need to get tested for COVID-19 weekly and test negative to continue working onsite.
• You will be considered unvaccinated if you decline to provide proof of vaccination.

A procedure detailing this process and related expectations will be available later this week. 

Contractors working on Met Council projects will also receive guidance in the coming weeks regarding their responsibilities to be vaccinated or tested. This is especially important for contract employees who are interacting directly with Met Council staff, on projects, and in facilities.

We appreciate your questions and patience as we work out the details to facilitate this process and avoid work disruptions where possible. If you have any additional questions, let us know by filling out the online COVID-19 form.

Make your appointment now to get vaccinated

Check out these tools to find vaccine appointments:

• COVID-19 vaccines are available on Mondays and Thursdays at both of the Met Council's Well@Work clinics. Appointments are required, and masks are required at all times in the Well@Work clinics.
• Schedule an appointment at one of the state's Community Vaccination Program sites.
• Sign up for the COVID-19 Vaccine Connector to directly schedule an appointment or get updates on vaccine opportunities.
• Use the Vaccine Locator Map to search for vaccine providers in your area.
• Schedule an appointment on the HealthPartners COVID-19 site or the M Health Fairview COVID-19 site.
• Go to CDC: VaccineFinder to schedule an appointment for a vaccine at a pharmacy near you.
• Make sure you're reading this regular all-staff COVID-19 email to get the latest on vaccination opportunities, guidelines, and more.
• For more information about the vaccine and how to find an appointment, visit the Minnesota Department of Health vaccine site.

Important reminders related to the vaccine:

• To be fully vaccinated with the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, two shots are required. If you’ve missed your second dose for any reason, get it as soon as possible. 
• You are considered fully vaccinated two weeks from the final vaccine dose.
• Even after you are fully vaccinated, you should continue to follow safety recommendations by public health officials and get tested if you are showing symptoms of COVID-19.

Continue testing to stop the spread of COVID-19

Anyone who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should immediately contact their health care provider and seek testing, regardless of their vaccination status. How to get a COVID-19 test:

• Walk in or schedule an appointment for a free test at one of the state’s COVID-19 Community Testing Sites across Minnesota.
• Order a free test through the state’s COVID-19 Test at Home program.
• If you have a HealthPartners medical plan, visit their website for testing information.

Announcements for teleworking employees

Telework Agreement Form now available

The Telework Agreement Form was updated as the organization prepares for the new, long-term hybrid workplace with a mixture of onsite, hybrid, and remote workers. The form is required for all staff who are teleworking as part of the new schedules that will be finalized this fall. The form is now online and routed automatically through the approval process.

The new Telework Agreement Form is now available on MetNet.

Telework transition timeline

As a reminder, the telework transition is broken down into these steps:

1. Each department is setting general direction for when employees should return.
2. Then, each teleworking employee is determining with their manager their new schedule and effective date, which will be defined in the signed telework agreement.​
3. After discussing their plan with their manager, the employee will complete the online Telework Agreement Form and submit it to their supervisor or manager for approval.
4. The signed Telework Agreement Form needs to be completed by mid-October and implemented accordingly at the appropriate time.

Our pandemic response team recommends that employees who can telework should continue to do so at least through Oct. 31, due to higher levels of community infection and the Delta variant. Teleworking employees should consider this updated guidance as they work with their managers to create their new plans.

Telework Transition FAQs

Teleworkers can review the Telework Transition FAQ page on MetNet for details and tools to help in planning for and implementing their new schedules.