Los Angeles City Council approves vaccination requirement for city employees

The Los Angeles City Council recently approved a plan that requires unvaccinated municipal employees to submit two COVID-19 tests per week at their own expense. 

The updated plan serves as a concerted effort to keep COVID-19 transmission and hospitalizations low, extending the vaccination deadline imposed in a previous ordinance from Oct. 1 to Dec. 18. 

“The city’s employee vaccine mandate is critical to protecting the health and safety of our workforce and the Angelenos we serve,” said Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles County.

Unvaccinated employees will have $65 deducted from their paychecks twice a week to cover the testing costs. COVID-19 testing must be conducted in the employees’ own free time and by a vendor approved by the city.

All employees will be held accountable to the vaccination deadline, except those who are approved for an exemption by the city. 

Exemptions from the vaccine mandate are granted to employees with medical conditions or disabilities that do not allow them to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as for individuals with religious beliefs that prohibit vaccination.

Los Angeles County municipal employees can file for an exemption by completing an accommodation form and submitting it to their HR department.

Data released by Garcetti's office shows that about 5,000 city employees have requested exemptions based on the aforementioned circumstances.

While exemptions are being processed, workers are still required to follow the testing guidelines in their own time. The city will reimburse employees with approved exemptions for testing costs before and after the individual’s request was approved.

In the case that an exemption is denied, workers have up to five days to file an appeal. Failure to appeal the decision warrants a notice requiring the employee to submit proof of vaccination.

According to the Los Angeles Public Health Department, about 73 percent of city workers have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 18 percent declining to state their status and 9.2 percent stating that they are not vaccinated.

Employees who elect to refuse vaccination face multiple potential consequences, including employment termination.

Garcetti said any city employee who fails to receive the COVID-19 vaccine before the Dec. 18 deadline should be prepared to lose their jobs, but that employment termination is a last resort.

“My goal is to not lose a single employee but to have everybody vaccinated and have everybody employed,” said Garcetti.