QUINCY COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAMS, INC.
COVID-19 VACCINE MANDATE POLICY
This COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Policy is an appendix to the Employee Handbook dated January 1, 2018, and is effective September 30, 2021.
In accordance with QCAP’s commitment to the health and safety of our employees and their families, the children and clients we serve, and our visitors and the community at large, we are adopting this COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Policy (Policy) as an integral part of our continued effort to implement measures which reduce the spread of COVID-19. In deciding to implement a mandatory vaccination policy, we reviewed a variety of sources of information on reducing the spread of COVID-19, including information from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Additionally, our decision was informed by the federal mandate requiring vaccination for all Head Start staff. All of these sources emphasize that vaccination is the most effective way to protect against severe illness or death from COVID-19. Accordingly, after careful consideration, we have determined that a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all QCAP employees, as outlined in this Policy, is necessary to further protect the health and safety of all of us and the communities and families we serve.
Policy: All QCAP employees are required to be fully-vaccinated unless a reasonable accommodation, as discussed below, is approved. Employees not in compliance with this Policy may be subject to termination of employment with QCAP.
Procedures:
- Vaccine Accessibility
QCAP will provide access to the COVID-19 vaccine during working hours for all employees. In general, QCAP will assist employees with scheduling a vaccine appointment at Manet Community Health Center. Employees wishing to receive the vaccine at the Manet site should contact Erin Columbare at ecolumbare@qcap.org schedule an appointment[s] for the vaccine.
QCAP will permit employees to get vaccinated during working hours, subject to coordination with their managers to schedule an appropriate time.
Employees will be paid for time taken to receive the vaccination during working hours. Employees should record this time as “Other Time Off” with a note in the comment section on the time sheet indicating “COVID vaccine appointment”.
- Vaccine Side Effects
Should an employee experience side effects from the vaccine or any vaccine-related illness, and require time off to recover from such side effects or illness, employees should report their absence in accordance with attendance procedures and record this time as “Other Time Off” with a note in the comment section on the time sheet indicating “COVID vaccine sick time”.
- Reasonable Accommodation
Employees who require a reasonable accommodation from this Policy due to a medical reason or because of a sincerely held religious belief should request an accommodation in accordance with section 1.7 or section 1.8 of our Employee Handbook. Such accommodation requests should be directed to QCAP Human Resources at hr@qcap.org. Once we receive such a request, we will begin an interactive process with the employee to determine whether we can grant a reasonable accommodation.
- Proof of Vaccination
Employees must provide proof of vaccination to Human Resources. Proof of vaccination includes either a copy or a photograph of an official COVID-19 vaccination card. Human Resources will maintain a copy of the proof of vaccination in a confidential medical file and will treat the proof of vaccination and an employee’s vaccination status as confidential medical information.
QUESTIONS: Any questions about this Policy should be directed to QCAP Human Resources at hr@qcap.org.