San Francisco expands vaccine mandate to incorporate metropolis contractors
San Francisco is expanding its vaccination mandate for city employees to include contractors who work with the city.
The mandate takes effect Dec. 31 and applies to contractors and nonprofit workers who work at city facilities or alongside city workers, the mayor's office said Friday. Contractors may be granted waivers for certain religious or medical exemptions, and the city manager is charged with implementing the mandate.
The new mandate represents a significant expansion of vaccine requirements for city workers in San Francisco, which was the first of its kind in the country when it was announced in June. San Francisco contracts with hundreds of companies, from construction and engineering firms to nonprofit social service providers.
According to the mayor's office, the obligation does not necessarily apply to all contractors: only employees who have regular personal contact with city employees are subject to the obligation. The mandate also applies to city commissioners.
The city is currently clarifying specific enforcement details, but companies working with the city must certify that eligible employees are fully vaccinated by the deadline.
“City contractors are an important part of the broader workforce that provides needed services to San Francisco. “It is therefore important that contractors also get vaccinated and help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in city facilities and among staff,” said Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax, in a statement.
According to the Department of Human Resources, 94% of city workers had been vaccinated as of Wednesday. Employees who do not comply with the vaccination requirement by November 1st, the final deadline for submitting complete proof of vaccination, must be terminated.
Some city departments with large frontline workers, such as the SFMTA and the Police Department, are preparing to lay off potentially hundreds of employees in November.
As of last week, 313 police employees, including 276 sworn officers, were unvaccinated, according to a department-wide email viewed by Here/Say Media. Of those employees, 228 requested religious exemptions, and the vast majority were denied.
This week, the SFMTA warned that more than 300 transit operators could be terminated on Nov. 1, causing “unforeseeable” disruptions starting over Halloween weekend and delaying their plans to restore service.
