The city of San Francisco is gearing up to require all city employees receive a COVID-19 vaccination if they do not want to be potentially fired.
On Wednesday, the city announced employees have until July 29 to report vaccination status and must receive shots “no later than 10 weeks after the Federal Food & Drug Administration (FDA) gives final approval to at least one COVID-19 vaccine.” Employees will have to upload their vaccination cards to a database.
“Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent transmission and limit COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths,” the city stated. “…All employees will have 30 days (until July 29, 2021) to report their vaccination status including documentation verifying that status, using the City’s People and Pay system through a link that will be found on the Employee Portal. All employees must provide the name of vaccine, date(s) of vaccination, and upload documentation into the system. This information will remain protected under existing City standard procedures for keeping any protected information in your employee file confidential.”
The policy goes into effect on Monday. As of today, a little more than half of the city’s employees have gotten their first dose of the vaccine — whereas about 5 percent have not gotten shots. There are 35,000 employees.
San Fransisco’s decision is the latest in the string of government agencies and workplaces forcing people to receive the vaccination.
In Texas, 153 employees at Houston Methodist hospital resigned or were terminated subsequent to not complying with the vaccination requirement. Many taxpayer-funded colleges and universities have mandates in place for the fall. In March, The Los Angeles Unified School District faced a lawsuit for its vaccine policy, which included a “digital tracking policy.”
While the city’s mandate will also apply to police, firefighters, custodians, and clerks, teachers in public school districts are not mandated. One official said, “Refusing to comply will result in consequences that may ‘go all the way up to termination.'”
