New York City Vaccine Mandate for Businesses Effective December 27, 2021.

Effective on December 27, 2021, a New York City workplace vaccine order which will apply to nearly 200,000 businesses, will now require employees to be fully vaccinated.  Beginning by the deadline of December 27, businesses are required to verify proof of each employee’s vaccination status.  Those that have only had the first dose of a two-dose vaccine by the 27th, must include a date which they can provide proof of a second dose, and can’t be later than 45 days after submitting proof of the first dose.

Acceptable proof includes:

  • A photo/hard copy of a CDC vaccination card
  • An NYC vaccination record, or official immunization records from a healthcare provider,
  • NYC COVID Safe App
  • CLEAR Digital Vaccine Card or CLEAR Health Pass
  • New York State Excelsior Pass
  • Photo or hard copy of official vaccination record, if administered outside of the USA

There is however an exemption for employees who can’t become vaccinated due to a medical condition or a sincerely held religious belief.  Those individuals were required to apply for reasonable accommodation from their employers by December 27th.

As it is now effective, employees who have either not submitted documentation of vaccination status, or a request for a reasonable accommodation are not allowed into their workplace.  Additionally, businesses must complete, sign, and post the Affirmation of Compliance with Workplace Vaccination Requirements, which can be accessed here.

Also effective on December 27th, all individuals ages 12+ are required to show proof of receiving two vaccine doses, or one dose if they have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for indoor activities (restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, grocery stores, fitness center, indoor entertainment, museums, etc).  Individuals aged 5-11 will be required to show proof beginning on January 29, 2022.

This blog article is intended for general information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice or opinion.  Contact myHRcounsel with questions about the use and enforcement of vaccine mandates. As a reminder, we provide our clients with an OSHA-compliant policy, forms for employees to request religious and medical exemptions, and forms for employees who have lost or cannot produce physical proof of vaccination to attest to vaccination status, customized for your organization.

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