Mayor Thomas M. McDermott, Jr. has issued two executive orders that require proof of vaccination to begin employment with the City of Hammond and before any current employee transfers or is promoted.
“As the federal government and OSHA continue to work on implementing a vaccine order for employers with over 100 people, I want to make sure the City of Hammond is both preparing itself and also taking pro-active steps to require proof of vaccinations where I feel appropriate,” said Mayor McDermott.
The OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) that would have required all employers with over 100 employees to require vaccination has been stayed by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. OSHA has stopped implementation work of the ETS so there is no clear direction by the federal government at this time of this requirement.
“I’ve let my department heads know that even though the OSHA requirement appears to be off the table temporarily that something will be coming down the road, it is my strong recommendation to get vaccinated. If there is a requirement implemented and people aren’t vaccinated, there is a great job market out there and people are free to work elsewhere,” said the mayor.
Mayor McDermott signed two Executive Orders this week concerning vaccinations. The first requires proof of vaccination for all new hires (including part time and seasonal workers) as a pre-condition to employment with the City of Hammond. The second requires proof of vaccination as a condition for any transfer or promotion within the City of Hammond for all employees not covered by a collective bargaining agreement that would mandate promotion based upon time on the job. “I continue to believe that vaccination is the best way to combat COVID-19, to stop the spread, and to get ahead of any surge in our community. I’m going to do what I can to protect our employees and residents by implementing these Executive Orders,” said Mayor McDermott.