Montgomery County Bill Would Mandate Covid-19 Vaccine For County Employees
On September 28, two Montgomery County Councilmembers proposed legislation that would require that the County’s employees be vaccinated against Covid-19. Expedited Bill 34-21 would permit accommodations to the mandate for medical reasons.
If the Bill passes, all employees would have 7 days to show proof of vaccination after receiving notification of the mandate. Noncomplying employees would be placed on unpaid leave for 7 days, during which time they would need to produce proof of at least one dose of a vaccine. Upon presenting that proof, the employee would receive another 40 days of unpaid leave to provide proof of full vaccination. Any employees who do not show sufficient proof, or obtain a medical accommodation, by the end of their leave period would be fired.
In a public e-mail message touting the legislation, Councilmember Riemer cited a source that recent mandates by large organizations had been successful in achieving vaccination in all but 1% of employees.
A public hearing on the proposed legislation will be held on October 19.
If you have questions regarding how to handle employment situations during the COVID-19 emergency, please contact the employment attorneys at Paley Rothman.