DATE: NOVEMBER 8, 2021
POLICY: COVID-19 PLAN/VACCINATION REQUIREMENT/COMMUNICABLE & INFECTIOUS DISEASE POLICY
1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE
As part of our commitment to providing a safe, healthy, and productive workplace for employees and clients, Maximum Care Inc. has adopted the policy on Communicable Diseases and ensuring our workforce is Covid free prior to starting work through the vaccination requirement and weekly Covid-19 testing for employees not able or willing to get vaccinated at this time. A communicable disease is an illness due to an infectious agent that is transmitted directly or indirectly from one person to another. All managers, supervisors, office and field staff are responsible for understanding and enforcing this policy. Clients to, will be briefed on Maximum Care’s Covid-19, Communicable and Infectious Disease policy.
This policy cover’s the Company’s response to some different communicable diseases within the community and work environment, and will highlight the vaccination requirements of Covid-19. This policy is applicable to all employees.
Maximum Care’s goal is to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 in the workplace. Managers as well as non-managerial employees and their representatives are all responsible for supporting, complying with, and providing recommendations to further improve this Covid-19 plan.
Maximum Care Inc. and the COVID-19 Safety Coordinators will work cooperatively with field employees to conduct workplace hazard assessments and to continue to provide updated safety measures and guidance to both employees and clients of Maximum Care Inc.
Yenica Buskirk- Compliance Officer, Gretchen Stone/Jennifer Haddad, Occupational Nurses, Keri Reese, SafetySpecialist, Hope Claypoole, Operations/HR Director at 610-264-2353 will assist in developing, implementing, monitoring and updating the COVID-19 plan and will ensure all employees concerns will be handled in a safe, confidential and prompt manner to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within the workplace and throughout our client population.
Maximum Care Inc. is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all our employees. Maximum Care Inc. has developed the following COVID-19 plan, which includes policies and procedures to minimize the risk of transmission of Covid-19, in accordance with, PA. Department of Health, CDC OSHA’s COVID-19 Healthcare Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS).
This rule will require businesses and health care facilities with at least 100 employees to be fully vaccinated by January 4, 2022 or produce a weekly negative COVID-19 test before starting work. Maximum Care Inc. will comply with all other provisions of the ETS, including the requirements related to masking, recordkeeping, and removal of COVID-19 positive employees. The ETS (Emergency Temporary Standard) will be in effect for (6) months. However, Maximum Care’s Universal Precautions and preventable measures for infectious and communicable diseases will remain at the forefront of our Company’s safety practices.
2. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
All managers and supervisors should be familiar with this policy, and be ready to answer questions from employees regarding these guidelines. If anyone has a specific question about the policy or a possible communicable illness, and an office personnel cannot answer the question, the person should be referred to Hope Claypoole, Operations/HR.
The Company strongly encourages all employees protect themselves from getting the seasonal flu vaccine each year. For more information on the current seasonal flu vaccine, refer to http://www. cdc.gov/vaccines/. Even if a person has just a cold or seasonal flu, they should be strongly encouraged to stay at home until they are well enough to return to work and their condition is not contagious.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF EMPLOYEES/CLIENTS
This policy will be distributed or posted for all employees and clients. This policy will also be added to Medflyt and the Company’s website: Maximumcare.online and a copy will be given to Maximum Care’s clients. The policy informs all employees to report to the Company in the event the employee/client:
1. has had symptoms in the last 24 hours (or such other period of time as determined by local or state health department guidance) related to a communicable illness, such as Covid-19 that increase the risk that the illness may be transmitted to another;
2. been diagnosed with a communicable disease that is not sufficiently controlled so that contact with the employee/client poses a risk of transmission;
3. has been in close contact with a person diagnosed with or being screened for a communicable illness, such as Covid-19 without appropriate protection so that the employee/client now presents a heightened risk of transmission of the communicable illness;
4. been in an area with widespread, sustained transmission of Covid-19 or any other communicable illness in the areas the CDC designates Level 3 (https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices) or high -risk areas the Company identifies;
5. is or should be quarantined related to a communicable illness; or cannot effectively cover contagious skin condition or an HSV-1 breakout or lesion to prevent any skin-to- skin contact.
Information relating to an employee/client health status will be maintained in a confidential manner as set forth in this policy.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of Breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore Throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
Look for emergency warning signs for Covid-19. If someone is showing any of these signs seek emergency medical care immediately:
Trouble breathing
Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
New confusion
Inability to wake or stay awake
Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone.
HOW DOES COVID-19 MAINLY SPREAD? (Taken from CDC)
Spread of Covid-19 occurs through the following ways:
Airborne particles and droplets.
Touching affected “high-touch” areas and then touching your eyes and mouth (maybe a strong possibility of transmission).
People who are infected with Covid-19 can release particles and droplets of respiratory fluids that contain the SARS CoV-2 virus into the air when they exhale (e.g., quiet breathing, speaking, singing, exercise, coughing, sneezing).
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW (Taken from CDC)
People of any age can get Covid-19 but older adults are more likely to get severely ill from Covid-19. More than 81% of Covid-19 deaths occur in people over the age of 65. The number of deaths among people over 65 is 80 times higher than the number of deaths among aged 18-29. The risk of severe Covid-19 increase as the number of underlying medical conditions increases in a person. Long-standing systemic health and social inequities have put various groups of people at risk of getting sick and dying from Covid-19, including many people from certain racial and ethnic minority groups and people with disabilities.
Covid-19 vaccines (initial doses and boosters) are preventative measures for Covid-19. This is important, especially if you are older or have multiple or severe health conditions.
EMPLOYEE ILLNESS AND RETURNING TO WORK
1. Employees must limit any exposure of other employees or clients contacting Covid-19 or any other communicable disease or illness. If employee is not able to do so effectively and perform his or her work, employee must immediately notify Maximum Care Inc.to discuss potential accommodations, if appropriate and leave options. Employees must not present themselves at work where they might expose other employees or clients to contracting a communicable disease or illness.
2. Employees must follow all CDC and public health organizations guidance regarding how to limit exposure of contracting a communicable disease or illness. Maximum Care Inc. will follow the Healthcare CDC guidance when handling our home care population.
3. Employees with symptoms of the flu, cold or other communicable disease or illness must not come to work.
4. Maximum Care Inc. will only allow employees who have been removed from the workplace to return to work in accordance with the guidance from a licensed healthcare provider or in accordance with the CDC’s Isolation Guidance and return to work healthcare guidance. Pursuant to CDC guidance, symptomatic employees may return to work after all the following are true:
At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared, and
At least 24 hours have passed with no fever without fever-reducing medication, and
Other symptoms of Covid-19 are loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months and need not delay the end of isolation.
Employees who have been confirmed positive for Covid-19, suspected of having Covid-19, have a fever of at least 100.4 F, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste and smell must be removed from work.
COMPANY PROCEDURE FOR POTENTIAL EXPOSURES IN THE WORKPLACE
Communicable illness can vary greatly in their degree of seriousness, ease of transmission, and risk to others. As a result, the Company may change its response to potentially communicable illness as the situation warrants.
The Company will follow all applicable regulations or instructions issued by federal, state or local public health authorities, the CDC or other governmental/licensing agencies. The Company will generally follow guidelines or recommendations issued by these sources, taking into account our own particular workplace circumstances.
TO LIMIT GERMS AND RESULTING ILLNESS, WE ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT THESE
PRACTICES:
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Maximum Care Inc. will supply hand sanitizers and alcohol wipes.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick, unless you are wearing appropriate protection.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue (or an elbow or shoulder if no tissue is available), then throw the tissue in the trash and wash or sanitize hands.
- Clean and disinfect frequently high touched objects and surfaces.
- Never mask a fever with Tylenol or Advil in order to come to work.
WHAT IS SELF-SCREENING?
Maximum Care has a self- screening questionnaire that should be used upon each Client visit for both the employee and client. This screening form can be found on Maximum Care’s communication website- MaximumCare.online. The screening questionnaire will ask the employee to do the following self-check to ensure the employee or client is not sick prior to starting home care services.
Examples of the self-screening/monitoring questionnaire:
1. What is the employee’s temperature? What is the client’s temperature?
2. Does the employee or client feel sick with a sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, body aches or fatigue?
3. Based on the following responses will determine whether an employee can work, or a client can be serviced.
4. All self-monitoring and screenings must be communicated to Maximum Care Inc. promptly to alleviate a possible communicable and infectious exposure.
5. Maximum Care Inc. will log and track all positive infectious exposures such as Covid-19 and will promptly report to PA. Department of Health and OSHA.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT
When there is a reported or suspected case of a potential communicable illness diagnosis or exposure in the workplace, the Compliance Department will:
1. Coordinate with whoever is responsible for environmental health and safety- (Compliance Officer, Safety Trainer, HR/Operations Director, or Occupational Nurse) will learn about the signs and symptoms by completing a written report as the nurse is interviewing/assessing the employee/client.
2. Contact Tracing is essential and will be conducted. Individuals who may have been in contact with the infected individual will be notified. All parties will be kept in confidence.
3. Work with the diagnosed or potentially exposed employee/client (“potential carrier”) to learn about the employee/client symptoms or possible exposure; assist with accommodations, leave requests, changes in home care services etc. and follow up with medical providers to obtain certifications and return to work documentation and or resumption of client services.
4. Create a list of other employees/clients potentially exposed to the potential carrier while that person may have been contagious, and assist those persons with information, accommodations, leave (quarantine) requests, changes in home care services and schedule, medical documentation as needed.
5. Maintain all medical information confidentially to the extent possible and consistent with applicable law.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
When there is a report or suspected case of a potential communicable illness diagnosis or exposure in the workplace, the persons responsible for environmental health and safety will be the Compliance, Operations and or Nursing Departments.
1. Create, update and maintain documentation describing the report and possible exposure, and the Company’s internal response plan.
2. Research the communicable illness to: (a) develop the Company’s coordinated internal response plan; (b) be able to provide answers to potentially exposed employees/clients, as well as their Managers, Staffing Team, Compliance/Operations; and make efforts to prevent the spread of Covid-19 or any other communicable illness and eradicate it from the premises.
3. Take all necessary efforts to prevent the spread of the communicable illness and eradicate it from the premises by, among other things, providing necessary personal protective equipment as needed, properly and thoroughly cleaning any potentially exposed surfaces that could lead to the spread of the illness, and informing those potentially exposed what they should do about it.
4. Determine if the issue should be reported to any state or federal occupational safety and health agency or to any public health officials or licensing agencies like the PA. Department of Health incident reporting.
5. Maintain all medical information confidentially to the extent possible and consistent with applicable law.
6. Determine if the Company should take any proactive steps to help prevent the spread of potentially communicable illness in the future and implement those steps.
7. Continual awareness and training will be given through newsletters, chats, and the Company’s online training website.
COMPANY’S POLICY ON POTENTIAL EXPOSURE (TRAVEL OR OTHERWISE)
The Company generally follows and recommends that employees follow travel advisories issued by CDC, the State Department, Federal/State/Local health officials, and other government agencies. This means that travel may, or should be curtailed in whole or in a part in the event of an outbreak of a communicable illness in a specific geographic area (a “Risk Area”).
1. Potential Exposure Due to Work-Related Travel
a. If an employee is required to travel to a RISK area for work, and the person becomes or believes he/she may be ill, the employee must inform his/her supervisor or a member of the Compliance, Safety, Nursing, HR/Operations Team immediately.
b. If, as a result of work-related travel, the employee is neither ill nor symptomatic upon returning, but quarantine is required or recommended by a public health official or medical provider, the person may be provided with assignments to perform at home if such assignments are available and within the scope of the employee’s job duties. If such assignments are not provided, Maximum Care Inc. will determine the appropriate type of leave during the period of quarantine based on the relevant circumstances.
CONFIRMED WORK-RELATED EXPOSURE
-If an employee/client believes he/she may be ill as a result of work-related exposure or home care services, the person must contact Maximum Care Inc. immediately to report the concern.
-A report will be sent into the PA. Department of Health and also reported on the OSHA 300 Log.
-The employee will need to remain out of the workplace and either work from home remotely when able, or if unable, remain off from work until cleared to report back to work.
-Client services will be put on hold. Our Compliance team will follow up with all affected parties during the leave of absence or service hold.
PERSONAL EXPOSURE
-If an employee becomes or believes he/she may be ill due to exposure for a non-work-related reason (i.e., not for reasons outlined above), the employee must inform his/her supervisor or a member from the Compliance/Safety/Nursing team.
-If the employee becomes ill or symptomatic, but quarantine is required or recommended by a public health official or medical provider for a non-work-related reason, the employee should review the Company’s leave policy such as Family Medical Leave Act policy.
-If the employee is neither ill nor symptomatic, but quarantine is required or recommended by a public health official or medical provider for a non-work-related reason, and the employee cannot perform work under quarantine, the employee will be placed on an unpaid administrative leave for the period of the quarantine.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
If the Company receives notice that an employee is requesting a reasonable accommodation for a communicable disease, the Company will request that the accommodation request will be made in writing. The Company will engage the employee in the interactive process, which may include requesting information from the employee and the employee’s medical provider to determine whether reasonable accommodation can be made. In reviewing accommodation request, the Company will consider, among other relevant factors, the health and safety of other persons with whom the employee regularly interacts in the workplace.
An employee may physically return to work when there is no longer risk of transmitting the communicable disease (such as Covid-19) to others, and provided the employee is able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.
QUARANTINE
In the instance of quarantine, it is the employee’s responsibility to provide the Company with written confirmation from a public health official of any quarantine period, as soon as practicable. While under quarantine, the employee may be advised not to report to work for a specified period of time. In such cases, the Company will require the employee to remain away from work until the specified quarantine period ends or the employee becomes free of the communicable disease as determined by the medical provider, whichever occurs first.
CONFIDENTIALITY/PRIVACY
Except for circumstances in which the Company is legally required to report workplace occurrences of communicable disease, the confidentiality of all medical conditions will be maintained in accordance with applicable law and to extent practical under the circumstances. When it is required, the number of persons who will be informed of the employee’s condition will be kept at the minimum needed not only to comply with legally reporting, but also to assure proper care of the employee and to detect situations where the potential for transmission may increase.
NO DISCRIMINATION
The Company prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation because of an employee’s disability or medical condition, including a communicable disease, such as Covid-19 or the status of an employee’s vaccination.
RESPONSIBILITY
In all cases of an absence due to the contraction (or potential contraction) of a communicable disease, the affected employee must notify his/her manager and/or HR/Compliance Department immediately that the employee has contracted or has potentially contracted a communicable disease, such as Covid-19.
Anyone who discovers evidence of a communicable disease that could endanger the health of others in the workplace must report it immediately to management and/or the Human Resources/Compliance Department. The Company will notify the appropriate health department officials as deemed necessary or if such reporting is required by law.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Given the variety and nature of the communicable illness covered in this policy, the Company may modify this policy on a case-by-case basis. The Company’s response exposures to communicable illness not discussed or specifically covered by this policy will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
HOW SOME CONTAGIOUS DISEAES CAN BE SREAD IN THE WORKPLACE/METHOD OF TRANSMISSION
Contact- (Touching infected person’s skin, bodily fluid or a contaminated surface) Chickenpox, Cold Sores, Conjunctivitis, Head Lice, Impetigo, Ringworm, Scabies, Influenza, Hepatitis Pertussis, Pneumonia, Ebola Virus Disease, COVID-19,
Respiratory Transmission- (Passing from the lungs, throat, or nose of one person to another through the air) Chickenpox, Common Cold, Covid-19, Diphtheria, Fifth Disease, Bacterial Meningitis, Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease, Impetigo, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Influenza.
There are some vaccines available for protecting some of these diseases but not all of them.
PREPARING FOR EXPOSURE- Basic Preventative Measures:
In an effort to combat a communicable disease event, Maximum Care Inc, will institute the following basic prevention measures for both Employees and Clients.
Employees and Clients should frequently and thoroughly wash their hands with soap. Clients may need assistance with this task. Afterwards, the Employee should rewash their hands.
Always take preventative measures when caring for a Client in the Client’s home. Wearing gloves, masks, gowns when needed and frequently washing hands is highly essential.
Employees and Clients must self-monitor themselves, if sick or has a fever, please contact Maximum Care Inc. for further directions. The Employee will be instructed to remain at home and get Covid-19 tested, the Client or Client’s family member will receive a phone call with further instructions on his/her care. The nurse will also contact the Client/Client Family Member.
Employees/Clients should follow appropriate respiratory etiquette which includes properly covering coughs and sneezes.
The employee should sanitize and keep the Client’s area clean and remove any garbage by wearing gloves. Macrobid has been shown to effectively kill bacteria and viruses and can be sprayed in unsanitary areas. Maximum Care Inc. does have Macrobid for anyone in need when servicing unsanitary homes.
Office employees should limit use of coworkers’ workstations, computers, phones, desks, offices, tools, or equipment as much as possible.
The Company will provide office/field personnel/clients with alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Masks, shields, and gloves will be given to employees and clients.
Personal care should remain as sanitary as possible limiting proximity when and where able.
Where practicable, in an effort to increase physical/social distancing, the Company will institute measures to permit for flexible worksites (e.g., telecommuting) and hours with staggered shifts.
In cases where a client and employee are in close proximity, masks, goggles, gowns and gloves are mandated. Limit the closeness when providing personal care. Face shields with masks, gowns and gloves should be used.
Maximum Care’s home office safety protocol:
1. Masks must be worn throughout the facility and when talking with co-workers and other employees.
2. A sign in sheet with information regarding the Covid -19 virus and our practices must be read prior to walking anywhere within the building. All temperatures are taken and monitored by our Compliance Officer. Any individual who has a temperature will be asked to reschedule his/her appointment until the individual no longer has a fever and is contagious.
3. All guests may use the anti-bacterial soap and will indicate whether or not, he or she has been vaccinated.
4. Maximum Care Inc. has limited the inservice training meetings to a limited and “spaced” out affair, with staggering shifts to minimize crowding of employees in a small office.
5. Physical barriers are used between work stations.
IDENTIFICATION AND ISOLATION OF SICK EMPLOYEES
The Company is committed to the prompt identification and isolation of potentially infectious employees. In order to identify and isolate potentially infectious employees, the Company will undertake the following procedures.
Employees and Clients should self-monitor for signs and symptoms of possible exposure to a communicable illness. In the event an employee believes he/she has potentially been exposed (either at work or home), the employee must immediately inform his/her supervisor or a member of the HR Department immediately.
A client or client’s family member should also self-monitor for any signs and symptoms of Covid-19 or any other communicable disease and contact Maximum Care prior to start of service if signs and symptoms of Covid are present. Maximum Care Inc. will provide the client/employee with specific directions on mitigating the exposure/risk of Covid-19 or any other communicable and infectious disease.
If it is determined that an employee has been exposed to a communicable disease such as, Covid-19, the employee is instructed to report the illness so that it can be reported into the PA. Department of Health and onto the OSHA 300 Log. The employee will be removed from work.
If it is determined the Client has potentially been exposed and lives alone and is homebound, communicating with the Client and or Client’s family doctor or alerting first responders may be necessary. In some cases, when care is needed, Maximum Care Inc. will send either a vaccinated employee and will be fitted appropriately for the N95 masks, shield., gloves, gown, or, an individual who has recently had Covid utilizing the appropriate PPE to help service the Client.
POST-EXPOSURE RESPONSE
If either an employee or client tests positive for a communicable disease and the employee or client have worked in intimate quarters for more than 15 minutes during the disease’s incubation/infectious period, the Company will immediately institute the following measures.
The Company will direct the confirmed carrier, and all employees with whom there was contact posing a risk of transmission, to remain home during the disease’s incubation period or as recommended by the CDC, whichever is longer. The Company will direct the carrier to remain home until he/she is well and able to return to work and, to the extent feasible, require the carrier to obtain a Fitness for Duty form from his/her medical provider. HR will also work with the carrier to identify leave options. The Compliance or Nursing department will discuss with the exposed client specific directions to minimize spreading the communicable disease and also medical care.
If a workplace exposure results in an employee being hospitalized for over 24-hours, the Company will immediately report the injury to OSHA. All client and employee Covid related incidents will be reported to the PA. Department of Health and reported on OSHA’s log 300. In cases of employee’s hospitalization related to Covid-19 or a fatality will be immediately reported to OSHA and the PA. Department of Health.
TRAINING
Maximum Care Inc. will provide ongoing and updated Covid-19 and other infectious and communicable disease training and the appropriate procedures for universal precautions through on-board training, quarterly inservices and newsletters through Maximum Care’s online training website and Medflyt.
VACCINATION AND TESTING POLICY REQUIREMENTS
Maximum Care Inc. will implement a vaccination policy that makes an exception for those individuals for whom the vaccine is medically contraindicated, for those whom medical necessity requires a delay in vaccination; or those who are legally entitled to a reasonable accommodation because they have sincerely held religious beliefs, practices, or observances that conflict with the vaccination requirement.
These employees who fall under one (1) of the exceptions listed above, will be required to undergo weekly Covid-19 Testing and wear a face covering at the workplace. The face coverings must meet the standards of the ETS. Maximum Care will provide all employees with the appropriate face coverings.
Any employee requesting a medical or religious accommodation should submit their form/letter into Hope Claypoole, HR/Operations Department for approval or denial. The purpose of the documentation is to prove the validity of either a medical contraindication to the vaccine, or a sincerely held religious belief and accommodation/modification to the ETS Vaccine Mandate.
Maximum Care Inc. will keep a roster of all employees showing their vaccination status, copies of required weekly COVID-19 testing and proof of vaccination.
The roster will list all employees, indicate whether they are fully or partially vaccinated, not fully vaccinated because of medical or religious accommodation, or not fully vaccinated because they have not provided acceptable proof of their vaccination status. Unvaccinated employees must be included on the roster.
Maximum Care Inc. will maintain a record of each COVID test result required to be provided by each employee pursuant to the ETS and each test will be kept confidential as an employee medical record. Tests will not be disclosed except as required by the ETS or other federal law. Tests must be shown to Maximum Care Inc. prior to start of shift. For further details, contact Maximum Care Inc and speak to either Yenica/Hope regarding what FDA approved tests are allowed and the cost for each test.
Maximum Care Inc. will collect, track and monitor the status of each active employee by requesting the employee’s vaccination status as follows:
Is the employee vaccinated – Yes or No
If yes, when was the date of 1st and 2nd dose if being administered the COVID-19 vaccination requiring the 2 doses (Pfizer/Moderna). If receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccination, when was first and only dose?
If only on first Pfizer/Moderna Dose, when is 2nd dose scheduled?
What facility was used for the vaccination administration? Photocopy proof of vaccination card and place in confidential employee medical file.
Lot numbers of the vaccinations will also be tracked.
If the employee has not received the vaccination, what is reason, was the accommodation approved?
Maximum Care Inc. will allow the non-vaccinated employees to test weekly prior to going to work. Please contact Maximum Care Inc. if you select to test weekly, so that we can provide further instructions. For example, if using a self-test, the manager, a telemed, or Company representatives must read the test results and provide them to Maximum Care Inc. For further instructions, please contact Maximum Care Inc. so that we can discuss your weekly testing options.
All COVID-19 testing results will be tracked on a spreadsheet.
Any booster shots will also be logged.
Positive workplace COVID-19 outcomes will be reported on an OSHA Log and to the PA. Department of Health.
The following list includes the acceptable documentation for proof of vaccination:
the record of immunization from a health care provider or pharmacy;
a copy of medical records documenting the vaccination;
a copy of immunization records from a public health, state, or tribal immunization information system; or
a copy of any other official documentation that contains the type of vaccine administered, date(s) of administration, and the name of the health care professional(s) or clinic site(s) administering the vaccine(s).
Maximum Care Inc. will provide compensation to receive each vaccination dose if it’s scheduled within work time. Maximum Care Inc. will reasonably compensate the employee who may be experiencing sickness from the vaccination.
Employees who have been approved for the medical or religious accommodations will be required to submit to weekly testing and will need to adhere to the following guidelines:
Employers must ensure that each employee who is not fully vaccinated, including those who are exempt from mandatory vaccine policies for medical or religious reasons, be tested for COVID-19 at least weekly if:
(1) in the workplace at least once a week; or
(2) within 7 days before returning to work if away from the workplace for a week or longer.
The following are the testing COVID-19 guidelines for the unvaccinated, exempted due to medical or religious beliefs:
the test must be a test for SARS-CoV-2 which is cleared, approved, or authorized, including in an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to detect current infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus (e.g., a viral test);
administered in accordance with the authorized instructions; and
not both self-administered and self-read unless observed by the employer or an authorized telehealth proctor.
Employees who do not fall into the exemption categories and choose not to get vaccinated, will need to submit to weekly testing with a negative test result prior to starting work.
Over-the-counter tests from local pharmacies are allowed but they may not be both self-administered and self-read unless observed by the employer or an authorized telehealth proctor. Please see attached FDA approved COVID-19 tests and costs.
HOW MAXIMUM CARE INC. WILL HANDLE A POSITIVE WEEKLY COVID-19 TEST RESULT.
Any employee who has received a positive COVID-19 test are expected to notify Maximum Care Inc. immediately. Employees who have received a positive COVID-19 test will be immediately removed from his/her work schedule, regardless of vaccination status. Employees will not be able to return back to work until they meet the criteria for returning to work.
WHEN CAN THE EMPLOYEE RETURN BACK TO WORK? When the employee meets one of the following criteria:
receives a negative result on a COVID nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) following a positive result on a COVID antigen test if the employee chooses to seek a NAAT test for confirmatory testing
meets the return-to-work criteria in CDC’s “Isolation Guidance” or
receives a recommendation to return to work from a licensed healthcare provider.
If after (10) days have passed and the employee no longer has Covid-19 symptoms, has not been on any fever reducing agents, the employee is able to go back to work. Some individuals feel more secure taking a second Covid-19 test to be sure. The more diligent practice is always the better option.
Maximum Care Inc. will not provide paid time off to any employee removed from the workplace as a result of a positive COVID test or diagnosis.
FACE COVERINGS EXEMPTION:
Maximum Care Inc. is responsible to ensure that each employee who is not fully vaccinated wears a face covering when: (1) indoors; and (2) when occupying a vehicle with another person for work purpose and when servicing Clients in their homes except:
When an employee is alone in a room with floor to ceiling walls and a closed door
For a limited time while the employee is eating or drinking at the workplace or for identification purposes in compliance with safety and security requirements
When an employee is wearing a respirator or facemask
Where the employer can show that the use of face coverings is infeasible or creates a greater hazard.
Maximum Care Inc. will provide all employees the following information:
Information about the requirements of the ETS and workplace policies and procedures- Maximum Care Inc. policy and procedure regarding the ETS
The CDC document- “Key Things to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines”
Information about protections against retaliation and discrimination
Information about laws that provide for criminal penalties for knowingly supplying false statements or documentation.
ANTI-RETALIATION:
Maximum Care Inc. may not discharge or in any manner retaliate against an employee because the employee exercised any right under the OSH Act. Here are some examples of COVID-19 related activities that are protected:
Requesting paid time for a COVID-19 vaccination or paid time off for vaccine side effects, when paid time off is required by the ETS.
Requesting personal protective equipment which the employee reasonably believes is required by an OSHA standard.
Wearing personal protective equipment required or permitted by an OSHA standard.
Reporting a COVID-19 infection or exposure to COVID-19 to an Employer or OSHA.
Reporting an unsafe condition to an employer or OSHA.
