RES 2022-12 Approving a COVID-19 Leave Program PolicyCITY OF OTSEGO
COUNTY OF WRIGHT
STATE OF MINNESOTA
RESOLUTION NO: 2022-12
APPROVING A COVID-19 LEAVE PROGRAM POLICY
WHEREAS, in March 2020, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic for COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to present challenges forthe health, safety, and welfare of City
employees and threatens the efficient delivery of City services; and
WHEREAS, the City has a responsibility to provide a safe workplace free from serious recognized hazards; and
WHEREAS, the City has developed a COVID-19 Leave Program Policy to ensure that employees are able to
complete full isolation and quarantine to reduce exposures in the workplace and to fully recover before
returning to the workplace; and
WHEREAS, the City is able to provide for paid leave with available funding made possible with the adoption
of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA); and
WHEREAS, the City will reimburse paid leave expenditures with ARPA funds from the State of Minnesota in a
manner consistent with the United States Department of Treasury's ARPA guidance; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has met to discuss and review the COVID-19 Leave Program Policy; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that the COVID-19 Leave Program Policy shall be in force and
effect upon the date of adoption of this resolution.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OTSEGO, MINNESOTA:
1. That the COVID-19 Leave Program Policy as attached hereto is hereby adopted effective immediately.
ADOPTED by the Otsego City Council this 24th day of January, 2022.
MOTION BY: Dahl
SECONDED BY: Darkenwald
IN FAVOR: Stockamp, Dahl,
OPPOSED: none
DarkenwaldI and Moores
CITY OF OTSEGO
Jessica L. Stockamp, Mayor
ATTEST:
Audra Etzee, City Clerk
CITY OF 0
Ot e
MINNESOTA
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ADOPTED: January 24, 2022
1. PURPOSE
It is important for the City of Otsego to provide employees information regarding the workplace
and COVID-19 (COVID). The City supports a healthy workplace and wellness and wants to work
together to ensure that essential functions are operational, and services can be provided.
In the effort to support a healthy workplace, the City is following recommendations and
guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Minnesota
Department of Health (MDH).
The CDC's most recent guidance states that getting vaccinated helps prevent severe illness,
hospitalizations, and death. The City of Otsego strongly urges all employees to work with their
health care provider to ensure they are getting the proper preventive care needed for COVID
and related variants.
In order to encourage a healthy workplace and allow all employees the time to test and/or
isolate per CDC recommendations, the following policy will be in place effective January 25,
2022, understanding that due to changing situations, this may be modified or eliminated as
needed by the City Council. It is expected that, in the event this policy is amended, updated, or
replaced, a new effective date will be added, and the prior policy will be automatically
withdrawn.
2. RETROACTIVE APPLICATION
Prior to adoption of this policy, employees have used personal time -off (PTO) for all COVID
related leave. Any employee that used PTO for COVID related leave from March 3, 2021 up until
the adoption of this policy will be eligible to have that amount of PTO reimbursed so long as the
COVID leave use guidelines in Section 3 or Section 4 below were met.
An employee will be required to request reimbursement of PTO for previous COVID related leave.
The request will be on a standardized form available from Human Resources, and will be required
to be requested by an employee no later than March 31, 2022.
Reimbursement of PTO for previous COVID related leave will not have an impact on available
leave in Section 3 or Section 4 of this policy.
3. COVID-19 LEAVE (DIRECT)
An employee who meets the leave use guidelines within this section will be eligible for paid
COVID/COVID-19 leave for work hours missed while they are unable to work.
This PTO is available regardless of prior use of paid COVID/COVID-19 leave or FFCRA leave
provided to the employee. City paid COVID/COVID-19 leave will be utilized prior to other leaves
that may be available.
Leave Use Guidelines:
The employee is eligible for paid COVID/COVID-19 leave under this section, if the employee:
• Has received a positive test -result for COVID-19 (isolation).
• Has been advised by a health care provider to quarantine or isolate related to COVID-19.
• Is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis.
• Is seeking testing for COVID-19 pursuant to guidance from the CDC and/or MDH.
• Has been sent home for quarantine due to a workplace exposure.
In the event that an employee's leave for a positive test result extends beyond 15 working days
(or 120 work hours), the employee would no longer qualify for paid COVID/COVID-19 leave,
and would need to explore short/long-term disability insurance or PTO. Employees who will be
on extended leave should work with Human Resources to discuss Family and Medical Leave Act
(FMLA) leave. FMLA is unpaid, and can be supplemented with short term disability.
4. COVID-19 LEAVE (INDIRECT)
An employee who meets the leave use guidelines within this section will be eligible for up to
two weeks maximum of paid leave (up to 80 hours, pro -rated for part time employees).
This paid COVID/COVID-19 leave is available regardless of prior use of paid covid or Family First
Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) leave provided to the employee. City paid COVID/COVID-19
leave will be utilized prior to other leaves that may be available.
This benefit is available one-time only to each employee. If an employee has paid
COVID/COVID-19 Leave in excess of 80 hours, or has multiple occurrences of COVID/COVID-19
leave under this section, that will require the use of PTO, short/long term disability and/or
FMLA.
Leave Use Guidelines:
An employee is eligible for paid COVID/COVID-19 leave under this section, if the employee:
• Is unvaccinated and has been exposed to someone with COVID-19 (quarantine).
• Is caring for a family member who has tested positive for COVID-19 and needs care.
5. VACCINATION LEAVE
Eligible for up to 18 hours of paid leave for currently unvaccinated employees who are seeking
vaccination and have an immune system response from the vaccine that is severe enough to
impact work activities. In this situation, employees may use paid COVID/COVID-19 leave for up
to 18 hours total (not per dose) in the 48 hours immediately following administration of a
vaccine dose.
A currently vaccinated employee who previously had immune system responses to the vaccine
or vaccine booster, are also eligible to retroactively be reimbursed for PTO used as paid
COVID/COVID-19 leave in accordance with this policy.
6. VACCINATION BENEFIT
In order to qualify for the vaccination benefit, employees must be fully vaccinated. Fully
vaccinated means two weeks following receipt of the final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The City will provide eight (8) hours of PTO to all full-time employees or pro -rated PTO to all part-
time employees. This PTO benefit will be subject to carryover limits as outlined in the City's
Personnel Policy.
All full-time and part-time fully vaccinated employees, even those who have been vaccinated
prior to adoption of this policy, are eligible to receive this benefit.
Employees are required to provide proof of vaccination, acceptable vaccination proof is listed
below, and a signed Tennessean warning to Human Resources. (Forms can be obtained from
Human Resources)
Acceptable Proof of Vaccination:
• Record of immunization from a health care provider or pharmacy.
• A copy of the COVID-19 vaccination record card.
• A copy of medical records documenting the vaccination.
• A copy of immunization records from a public health, state, or tribal immunization
information system.
• A copy of any other official documentation that contains the type of vaccine
administered, dates of administration, and the name of the health care professional(s) or
clinic site(s) administering the vaccine(s).
• In instances where an employee is unable to produce acceptable proof of vaccination as
noted, a signed and dated statement by the employee, subject to criminal penalties for
knowingly providing false information:
o Attesting to their vaccination status (fully vaccinated or partially vaccinated), and
o Attesting they have lost and are otherwise unable to produce proof required by
the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS).
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Generally, Human Resources will require certification to verify the qualifying reason for the leave
and proof of vaccination. Employees should be prepared to provide:
• Documentation such as a copy of any quarantine or isolation order, written note by a health
care provider advising self -quarantine, or the results of a covid test; and/or
• Documentation showing the employee's vaccination status.
The City understands that requesting healthcare provider documentation may place additional
burdens on our medical community during this pandemic, therefore if an employee is unable to
obtain this documentation, at a minimum, the name, address, and phone number of your
treating healthcare provider must be provided. The City also reserves the right to request
additional documentation completed by your healthcare provider in situations where there is
reason to believe an employee has fraudulently obtained leave or paid benefits.
8. EXEMPTIONS FOR MEDICAL OR RELIGIOUS REASONS
Any employee who is unable to receive the COVID-19 vaccine due to a disability or other medical
contraindications or sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance may be eligible to
receive the benefits above. Human resources will require medical documentation and/or an
attestation from the employee to approve benefits in these cases. See Human Resources for
more details.
9. POLICY HISTORY
This is the current and most recent version of the COVID-19 Leave Program Policy. Previously:
Adopted: January 24, 2022
Revised: N/A
CITY OF OTSEGO
COUNTY OF WRIGHT
STATE OF MINNESOTA
RESOLUTION NO: 2022-12
APPROVING A COVID-19 LEAVE PROGRAM POLICY
WHEREAS, in March 2020, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic for COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to present challenges forthe health, safety, and welfare of City
employees and threatens the efficient delivery of City services; and
WHEREAS, the City has a responsibility to provide a safe workplace free from serious recognized hazards; and
WHEREAS, the City has developed a COVID-19 Leave Program Policy to ensure that employees are able to
complete full isolation and quarantine to reduce exposures in the workplace and to fully recover before
returning to the workplace; and
WHEREAS, the City is able to provide for paid leave with available funding made possible with the adoption
of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA); and
WHEREAS, the City will reimburse paid leave expenditures with ARPA funds from the State of Minnesota in a
manner consistent with the United States Department of Treasury's ARPA guidance; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has met to discuss and review the COVID-19 Leave Program Policy; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that the COVID-19 Leave Program Policy shall be in force and
effect upon the date of adoption of this resolution.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OTSEGO, MINNESOTA:
1. That the COVID-19 Leave Program Policy as attached hereto is hereby adopted effective immediately.
ADOPTED by the Otsego City Council this 24th day of January, 2022.
MOTION BY: Dahl
SECONDED BY: Darkenwald
IN FAVOR: Stockamp, Dahl,
OPPOSED: none
DarkenwaldI and Moores
CITY OF OTSEGO
Jessica L. Stockamp, Mayor
ATTEST:
Audra Etzee, City Clerk