Following the transition from daily to weekly reporting of COVID-19 data, state authorities have lifted the requirement for unvaccinated employees to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing while receiving COVID vaccine. We are preparing to roll back planned monthly surcharges for workers in no state.
Notes sent to state workers on Tuesday announcement At the end of the employee’s COVID-19 inspection program, we found that nearly half of the state’s workforce had weekly inspections at the beginning of inspection requirements, resulting in approximately 10,000 inspections per week. Recent data show a steady decline in cases, with positive results among state workers requiring weekly examinations dropping to less than 1 percent of the group.
The state initially took a tough stance against the COVID-19 vaccine and threatened to dismiss unvaccinated employees, but statistics show that only a handful of disciplinary employees are missing. Fewer employees were unclear, and government employees were unaffected by the decision. ..
In addition to discontinuing the test, the Civil Service Benefits Program (PEBP) will provide health and life insurance to approximately 70,000 people, including state employees and their dependents, and will add to approximately 5,000 unvaccinated people on Thursday. Consider rolling back the decision to apply the fee. State employee. In December, the Board approved an additional fee as a temporary measure to cover an average of $ 2,700 per week for COVID testing, which is no longer supported by federal CARES funding.
Laura Rich, an executive officer at PEBP, said he recommends eliminating additional fees based on factors such as higher immunization rates, fewer COVID employees, and fewer cases requiring hospitalization.
Currently, PEBP plans to carry out a monthly surcharge from July 1st. The program provides $ 55 monthly premiums to all state workers and dependents without vaccination certification or legitimate religious or health exemptions, including $ 175 for each dependent over 18 years of age. You have to pay. It is covered by health insurance.
According to a report included in Thursday’s agenda item, when the additional charges are gone, the Governor’s Office and the Treasury will use other funds to incur costs due to employee-mandated testing and potential future COVID spikes. Covers.
Costs so far
As of the end of December, approximately 5,000 state officials had not been vaccinated, but exact numbers, including dependents and retirees, were not available. PEBP paid more than $ 2.2 million in 2020 to members diagnosed with COVID-19, about $ 11.5 million in 2021, and about $ 2 million by February 10, this year.
Since PEBP does not have immunization information for all members, no breakdown of the costs for vaccinated and non-vaccinated members was available. If a member receives a vaccine through a community health center or a place that does not require insurance information (such as a vaccine clinic), PEBP will not record vaccination information because the organization did not pay the claim, Rich said. ..
PEBP does not track costs by vaccination status, but Rich states that studies show that the cost of unvaccinated people is much higher than that of vaccinated people. rice field.
Disciplinary action for unvaccinated workers
As Nevada has overcome the pandemic, the issue of vaccination has spurred countless debates, deadlocked votes, and various approaches to the discipline surrounding employees who refuse to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. ..
However, disciplinary policies and procedures between state agencies are not monolithic. Most employees of government agencies have different policies than those of the Nevada Higher Education System (NSHE) and the judiciary and legislature.
According to data from the Human Resources Department, which covers most government agencies from September 2021 to the present, 19 state officials have been disciplined in writing for violations of the COVID policy and 7 have intermediate-level disciplinary action. In response, there were no employees. It ended due to a violation.
In September, the State Health Commission adopted an urgent regulation requiring corrective staff and state health workers to get the COVID vaccine, while Republican legislators have a December obligation and another obligation to affect college students. Was blocked.
The Board resolved in late September to create a vaccine obligation for employees of the higher education system, and on December 1, about 1,700 employees will take about a month to comply with the directive. I sent a notification to warn you that.
According to data shared by the agency at the end of December, before the firing was permanent, 2.3% of NSHE employees, or just over 500, remained unvaccinated.
Brenda Erdoes, Director of Legislative Advisory, said the legislature has no disciplinary proceedings for unvaccinated workers, but employees working in the legislature are not fully boosted and vaccinated with COVID-19 every week. Said to request. To date, Eldos said no employees were fired for failing to comply with the test requirements.
Nevada’s judicial system is not unified and each court follows different rules and regulations.
State Courts of Appeal, including the Nevada Supreme Court and the Nevada Court of Appeals, require employees to be up-to-date with vaccinations. Catherine Stocks, director general and administrator of the state court, said the court is an at-will employment and does not have a progressive disciplinary policy.
Five unvaccinated employees were dismissed earlier this year, according to Stocks, and “some employees were granted exceptions” for each return-to-work policy, but the organization’s vaccination rate. Added that is almost 100%.
