RELATED: Unvaccinated People Will Be Banned From Here, Starting Nov. 28. On Oct. 18, vaccination requirements for state workers went into effect in three different states: Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington. Massachusetts state employees were required to be fully vaccinated as of Oct. 17, so now up to 5,000 workers are at risk of suspension or termination, according to the Boston Herald. More than 40,000 employees have already submitted proof of full vaccination or filed for an exemption, however. Those who have not submitted paperwork will be contacted on Oct. 18 by managers. According to the news outlet, the state is enforcing the mandate through “progressive discipline,” which means that noncompliant workers will start off with a five-day, unpaid suspension up until ten days before facing “termination of employment.” In Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown made two executive orders in August, mandating that executive branch employees, which include workers in public safety, correctional, and healthcare settings who are also employed by the state, as well as all teachers, educators, support staff, and volunteers in K-12 schools, would need to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18. According to the Statesman Journal, certain workers who are not yet fully vaccinated but have “begun the vaccination process” may have an additional six weeks before termination is considered, though they must work in a remote capacity until they can provide proof of a completed series. Those who cannot work remotely will have to take unpaid leave until they are fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, under a sweeping order from Gov. Jay Inslee, Washington state government workers, educational employees, and those in healthcare settings also had until Oct. 18 to be fully vaccinated. According to The Seattle Times, terminations are not likely to begin immediately, as some labor unions have negotiated extensions of nearly 30 days. But failure to provide proof of vaccination or obtain a medical or religious exemption may result in unpaid leave before termination is considered. The newspaper also reported that full vaccination rates among Washington state government workers has increased from 68 percent to more than 90 percent just ahead of the vaccination deadline. On the other hand, the state’s hospital association estimates that about 3,000 to 7,500 hospital workers could lose their jobs, while the school district superintendents also expects to lose “a small percentage of their staff.“ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. Other states have already enacted such mandates. California, Maine, and New York all had vaccination requirements for healthcare workers hit in late September or early October. And according to The Pew Trusts, nearly 21 states and the District of Columbia have told state workers and healthcare employees to get vaccinated or risk losing their jobs, with mandate deadlines sprinkled throughout the rest of the year. “Overall, the states that have mandated vaccines have said, ‘We really need to do this, and we don’t think we’ll have a huge loss in our workforce,’” said Hemi Tewarson, the executive director of the National Academy for State Health Policy, a nonpartisan forum of state policymakers. Some state employees have opted for the option to allow testing alternatives, like in New Jersey, where Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order requiring that all state employees, as well as preschool to Grade 12 personnel be fully vaccinated against COVID by Oct. 18 or undergo mandatory COVID testing at a minimum of once or twice a week. But some say this is not enough. “The reason there’s not a test-out option is that we just weren’t convinced it was an efficient or effective way to keep people and communities safe,” Mike Faulk, Inslee’s deputy director of communications in Washington, said, per The Pew Trusts. “We already had testing prior to the vaccine being widely available at the Department of Corrections and other congregate work settings. Regular testing didn’t necessarily prevent that many cases, and we’ve seen state employees get COVID on the job and eventually die.” RELATED: Vaccine Maker Just Made This Chilling COVID Prediction.
