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As you may recall, the Department temporarily suspended the COVID-19 vaccination information collection process via the Safety Management Information System (SMIS) as a result of the nationwide injunction that went into effect January 21, 2022. The injunction precludes the Department from enforcing Executive Order No. 14043, which required federal employees to obtain a COVID-19 vaccination.
To promote the safety of our workplaces and the federal workforce consistent with Executive Order No. 13991, the COVID-19 Workplace Safety: Agency Model Safety Principles, established by the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force, and guidance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Department has reauthorized the use of SMIS for employees to input COVID-19 vaccination status and, if applicable, proof of vaccination.
Employees on-boarded after the January 21, 2022, injunction have until April 15, 2022, to provide the required information regarding their vaccination status via SMIS. These employees and their supervisors have been directly notified.
Supervisors must validate entries from employees who provide proof of vaccination. Supervisors don’t need to validate entries indicating that an employee is not vaccinated.
Moving forward, IBC will advise new hires during the on-boarding process that they are required to enter their COVID-19 vaccination status into SMIS once access is available (usually within 1-2 pay periods). Supervisors will be responsible for following-up with employees to ensure compliance and validating entries of proof of vaccination.
IBC’s New Employee Checklist and Supervisor Checklist include reminders of these required actions.
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