COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY SUMMARY
All employees are required to be fully vaccinated, unless they have requested and been granted medical or religious accommodation. Newly hired employees will have 30 calendar days after receiving their verbal offer of employment to provide their vaccination record to Human Resources. In addition, all employees who are eligible to get their first booster must also provide Human Resources with their updated vaccination record.
We recognize that some employees may not be able to receive the vaccine for approved medical or religious reasons. Employees who would like to request an accommodation must complete a medical or religious accommodation request form. To obtain an accommodation request form, please contact Gwen Pulvirent in Human Resources. All forms must be submitted to pulvireg@union.edu.
*Note that all accommodation forms should only be filled out and submitted by active employees of Union College.
Employees who are not approved for a medical or religious accommodation and who are not fully vaccinated will be subject to disciplinary action as follows:
- Staff will be placed on unpaid leave for up to 30 days. If by the end of the 30 days the staff member is still not vaccinated, their employment will be terminated.
- Faculty will be subject to disciplinary action and sanctions up to and including termination based upon the guidelines set forth in section II.IX (Procedures for Dismissal and Sanctions) of the Faculty Manual
Requiring vaccinations will help keep our entire Union community and surrounding communities safe and healthy.
COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY DETAILS
Effective as of June 23, 2021; Updated December 21, 2021; Updated January 9, 2023
In support of Union College’s commitment to health and safety for all members of its community, the College will, with limited exceptions set forth in this policy, require all faculty, staff and long-term contractors who will live, study or work (as applicable) on campus to be fully vaccinated with an approved COVID-19 vaccine as described below.
Vaccination is critical to help stop the COVID-19 pandemic and to protect our community. Benefits specific to the Union College community may include:
- In-person course offerings and academic experiences
- Opportunities for a wider range of events and activities offered at the College
- Greater interpersonal collaboration among faculty, students, and staff
Vaccination Record and Health Requirements
Proof of completed and current COVID-19 vaccination, including at least one booster shot as recommended by the FDA or CDC, will be required for all faculty and staff who will work on campus at any time during the academic year, in each case unless a reasonable accommodation for medical, pregnancy, or religious reasons is approved as described below. Employees not in compliance with this policy may be precluded from working in-person on site, may be required to take unpaid leave of absence, or may be subject to other appropriate action as determined by the College.
Any vaccine approved by the FDA or authorized by the FDA for emergency use in the U.S. (currently Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson) is acceptable for purposes of this policy. For purposes of this policy, “completed COVID-19 vaccination” means that two or more weeks have passed since the individual received the final dose (e.g., first for Janssen/Johnson & Johnson, second for Pfizer and Moderna) of the vaccine approved by the FDA or authorized by the FDA for emergency use. At least one booster shot will also be required in accordance with the most current FDA or CDC recommendations. Under the terms of the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) the decision to receive a vaccine is voluntary. As noted above however, individuals who exercise their choice and decide not to receive an EUA authorized vaccine will not be able to participate in person, unless an accommodation is sought and granted under this policy.
Faculty or staff who have received COVID-19 vaccines abroad which are not authorized for use in the United States will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. Individuals arriving in the United States will not be allowed on campus in person for any reason until they are fully vaccinated (i.e. for a period of 2 weeks following the final dose of the COVID-19 vaccination).
Documentation Requirements
Acceptable documents serving as evidence of COVID-19 vaccination may include:
- A completed CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card or other official documentation authorized by a governmental authority of competent jurisdiction; or
- Medical records signed by a licensed health care provider indicating vaccine name and dates of administration.
Paid Leave for Vaccinations
New York State law currently entitles employees up to four hours of paid leave per COVID-19 vaccine injection for their own receipt of the vaccine. This will be paid at an employee’s regular rate of pay. This is additional paid time and has no impact on other accrued time. Employees are required to:
- Provide their supervisor with a scheduled date/time of vaccination(s), when possible at least 24 hours in advance.
- Clock Out/In, if applicable, during scheduled appointment(s). Supervisors will update College systems to reflect “COVID vaccination” leave.
- Submit proof of vaccination to Human Resources as described above. Please do not provide any other medical information.
Potential Accommodations
This policy applies to all faculty and staff who will live, study or work on campus. Employees may request reasonable accommodations to excuse compliance with the policy, in whole or in part, as follows:
Employees may be accommodated, including possibly exempted, from the COVID-19 vaccination record requirement if they have a medical condition that would prevent them from receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. Such individuals must provide a written statement from a healthcare provider licensed to practice medicine in the United States or other country of the individual’s residence stating that the COVID-19 vaccination would be medically harmful, which provides the reasons for and duration for the exemption request. If the medical condition no longer exists, the individual must then comply with the vaccination record requirement of this policy. The College will evaluate accommodation requests in accordance with guidance from public health authorities, College policy and applicable law. The College will provide reasonable accommodations to those individuals whose medical condition currently does not allow for the COVID-19 vaccination so long as the failure to be immunized (a) will not prevent the individual from fulfilling the essential functions of his/her/their position, (b) does not cause the College undue hardship, and (c) does not pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others. Accommodations are evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on interactive discussions among the parties. Requests for accommodations on medical grounds should be made by completing the Employee Accommodation Request for Exemption from Immunization Policy and submitting the completed form to Gwen Pulvirent at pulvireg@union.edu.
Employees may be accommodated including possibly exempted from the COVID-19 vaccination record requirement if they provide a written signed statement explaining how COVID-19 vaccination conflicts with their bona fide religious beliefs or practices. A general philosophical or moral objection to vaccination shall not suffice as the basis for exemption on religious grounds. The individual shall be required to acknowledge in writing that the individual was informed of the value of vaccination and has knowingly declined to have COVID-19 vaccination for religious reasons. The College will evaluate accommodation requests in accordance with guidance from public health authorities if applicable, College policy and applicable law. The College will provide reasonable accommodations to those individuals whose religious beliefs bar COVID-19 vaccination so long as the failure to be immunized (a) will not prevent the individual from fulfilling the essential functions of his/her/their position, (b) does not cause the College undue hardship, and (c) does not pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others. Accommodations are evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on interactive discussions among the parties. Requests for accommodations on religious grounds should be made by completing the Employee Accommodation Request for Exemption from Immunization Policy and submitting the completed form to Gwen Pulvirent at pulvireg@union.edu.
This policy is subject to change based on factors such as the progress of the COVID-19 pandemic, guidance from local, state and federal agencies, and changes in applicable law. Such changes will apply prospectively immediately upon being approved by the College.