The following message contains critical updates on U.S. employee requirements related to the pandemic, many of which stem from U.S. federal government mandates.
Vaccination Mandate in Effect for Most U.S. Employees – Deadline: December 8
At Honeywell, federal contract work is a critical part of our business. We support thousands of U.S. government contracts, and these contracts directly and indirectly support thousands of jobs. It is crucial that we preserve our ability to support existing federal government contract work and to pursue new contracts.
On September 9, President Biden issued an Executive Order that mandates that all employees of U.S. government contractors who work on or in connection with a covered government contract must be fully vaccinated. Guidance issued on September 24 by the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force set December 8 as the date by which covered employees must be vaccinated. This new federal vaccination mandate overrides any contrary state or local law or ordinance. In addition:
· The federal vaccination mandate applies to every employee at a covered location where any U.S. government contract work takes place, including all U.S. territories, whether directly or through a support function.
· The mandate does not apply to employees outside of the U.S. and its territories, even if they are working on or in support of a U.S. government contract.
· The mandate does, however, apply to employees working on or in support of U.S. government contracts from remote locations, including employees who work exclusively from home.
To ensure compliance with these new requirements from the federal government, all of Honeywell’s U.S. non-manufacturing employees, as well as manufacturing employees who work at sites that support U.S. government contracts, must be fully vaccinated by Wednesday, December 8. The only exceptions will be for those who qualify for accommodations due to medical or religious reasons. The deadline for applying for a medical or religious exception is November 1, and we will communicate instructions shortly on how to apply for any such exception.[1] There is no testing alternative to the vaccination mandate, except potentially as part of an approved medical or religious accommodation request. There is likewise no exception for employees who have already had COVID-19.
To summarize, Honeywell’s vaccination requirements apply to the following employee populations within the U.S. and its territories, including Puerto Rico:
· Employees at all Honeywell non-manufacturing locations, including office sites and labs.
· Employees working on or in support of U.S. government contracts from home or at other non-Honeywell locations, including customer sites. This will include most field service workers.
· Employees at Honeywell manufacturing locations who work on or support U.S. government contracts.
In accordance with the federal vaccination mandate, Honeywell will require employees to submit proof of vaccination in an approved form of documentation, such as a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card or a record of immunization from a health care provider, pharmacy, or public health agency. Self-attestation of vaccination status is not an acceptable alternative. Documentation must include the employee’s name, vaccine name, date(s) of administration, and the name of the health care professional or clinic site administering the vaccine. Employees will upload their proof of vaccination through a secure app.
Instructions on how to upload vaccination documentation through the app will be communicated this month. Consistent with the rules set forth by the federal mandate, the company will verify vaccination documentation submitted by employees. If Honeywell determines that any vaccination records are fraudulent or fabricated in any way, the offending individual’s employment will be terminated.
According to the CDC, you are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after the second dose in a two-dose vaccine, such as Pfizer or Moderna, and two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine. Currently, third shots or so-called booster shots are not considered part of the federal mandate, although that could change over time. Please note that to meet the December 8 deadline, you will need to start your vaccination process well in advance to allow time to achieve full vaccination:
· For the Pfizer vaccine, which requires 3 weeks between doses, you will need to allow 5 weeks for full vaccination – this means your last date to receive the first shot is November 3.
· For the Moderna vaccine, which requires 4 weeks between doses, your last date for the first shot is October 27.
· For Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine, which is administered in a single dose, your last date for the shot is November 24.
If you fail to comply with the December 8 deadline, absent receipt of an approved medical or religious exemption, you will be ineligible for work at Honeywell and subject to discipline, up to and including termination without severance.
Manufacturing Sites That Do Not Support U.S. Government Contracts
U.S. manufacturing sites that do not support federal government contract work in any capacity will be excluded from the vaccination mandate, and those sites will be notified separately. We anticipate, however, that these locations will be subject to upcoming Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations that require all U.S. employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated or to require any workers who remain unvaccinated to produce a negative test result on at least a weekly basis.
In addition, unvaccinated employees who are covered under Honeywell’s medical plans will be subject to a $500 surcharge for the 2022 plan year. Because Honeywell is self-insured, the company faces higher expenses for those who are treated for COVID-19, so the surcharge is intended to offset these costs. The surcharge will not apply to employees with approved medical or religious accommodations. If the surcharge applies to you, you will hear directly from our Compensation and Benefits team with more details prior to the start of the plan year.
Full Vaccination Now Required for All U.S. New Hires
To ensure full compliance with the federal vaccination mandate, effective immediately, all job offers for U.S. positions will be contingent on the candidate providing proof of full vaccination. The only exceptions are for applicants who seek and receive a medical or religious accommodation. Details on how the exception process will work will be communicated to the Human Resources function and to U.S. people managers.
Most U.S. Non-Manufacturing Employees to Return to the Workplace on a 3-2 Flex Schedule – November 1
We believe it is important to our customers and advantageous to our overall company for us to safely return employees to our U.S. offices to foster the levels of teamwork and innovation that differentiate us from our competition. While transmission of COVID-19 remains a concern in many of our U.S. communities, we have seen a steady decline from peak levels reached in the late summer along with a resumption of normal business activities throughout the country. According to Department of Labor surveys, the percentage of Americans working remotely has dropped by more than half since May 2020, and only 4% of executives and employees said in a recent PwC survey that their company workforce is fully working remotely. At the same time, safe and effective COVID-19 vaccinations have become readily available, allowing Americans to protect themselves and their loved ones from severe illness.
All U.S. non-manufacturing employees – with the exception of certain sites where non-manufacturing employees are co-located with manufacturing operations as well as office locations with fewer than 50 people – will return to the office on a 3-2 flex schedule starting on Monday, November 1. If your site is excluded from this change, you will be notified by your site leader.
As was the case earlier this year, returning non-manufacturing employees will observe a 3-2 flex schedule for the foreseeable future. The 3-2 flex schedule allows you to work from home two days a week if your job can be accomplished remotely. During the other three days of the work week, employees will be expected to work at their assigned office. Site leaders will be responsible for ensuring that everyone at their respective locations knows their work schedule and follows