Vol. 5 | September 2021

Message from Leadership

On September 9th,

President Biden signed an

Executive Order requiri

vaccinations for all Feder

employees, stating that 

is essential for Feder

employees to take all

available steps to protect

themselves and avoid

spreading COVID-19 to

their colleagues and members of the public. This direction will help decrea

the spread of COVID-19 in our communities and protect our employees a

their families during this continuing public health emergency. Requiring t

COVID-19 vaccine for our workforce will also increase productivity and o

ability to deliver our mission of serving our nation’s worker

Pursuant to the Executive Order, all DOL employees must be fully vaccinat

(i.e., two weeks past your final shot) no later than Monday, November 2

2021, unless you have a reasonable accommodation for a qualifying medic

condition or a religious accommodation based on a sincerely held relig

belief, practice, or observance. This requirement applies to all D

employees, including 100% remote workers and those who are not currently

performing onsite or in person work. Please get vaccinated as soon as

possible, for yourself and for others.

To meet the November 22, 2021, timeframe to be fully vaccinated, 

employee must:

Obtain the first dose of the Moderna vaccine no later than October 1

2021, and the second dose of the Moderna vaccine no later than

November 8, 2021;
Obtain the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine no later than October

2021, and the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine no later than Novemb

8, 2021; or

Obtain the single dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine no later than

November 8, 2021.

The President signed another Executive Order that will require certain feder

contractors to be fully vaccinated.

The DOL COVID-19 Coordination Team will continue to communicate with

all as we implement both Executive Orders. As always, please ask question

we continue on this journey. Please check the COVID-19 Guidance a

Resources page for more information and send your question

— Rachana Desai Martin, Assistant Secretary for Administration

Management

Workplace Safety Plan Updates: 

Reentry Phases

After reviewing various factors, including President Biden’s Executive Or

requiring COVID-19 vaccination for Federal employees and contractors, t

DOL COVID-19 Coordination Team is adjusting the timeline for increasi

return of Federal staff, onsite contractor staff, and visitors to DOL workspa

Phase 1 reentry will now begin no earlier than January 3, 2022 (rather than

the previous planned reentry date of October 7, 2021). Our phased approach

and occupancy limits for each of the reentry phases, as detailed in the

Internal DOL Reentry and Post-Reentry Future of Work Plan, are presently

unchanged. Mission critical onsite work will continue. Thus, emplo

performing essential work that cannot be completed from an approv

telework site should continue to work onsite as determined by their agen

under the DOL COVID-19 Workplace Safety Plan.
In Case You Missed It

Here is a quick recap of the latest COVID-19 information a

guidance sent to all DOL employees:

Ending Soon American Rescue Plan Emergency Paid

Leave

Executive Order on Requiring COVID 19 Vaccination

All Federal Employees

Launching VaxTrak for Collecting Information About Vaccine St

Updated Vaccination Information and Resou

Use of Administrative Leave for COVID 19 Vaccination Purp

Masking Requirements by DOL Locati

Additional information, including Employee Messages, are posted on

DOL COVID 19 LaborNet page. If you have questions, please visit the F

page, or contact us at: 

NEW: COVID-19 Video Resources for

Employees

The DOL COVID 19 Coordination Team knows that pandemic respon

guidance has been changing rapidly across the nation, the Feder

Government, and the Department in response to evolving circumstances. Our

goal is to help YOU understand what you need to know about DOL’s policies

as they relate to pandemic response. To that end, we’ve put together the

following videos on hot topics. Take a look to see if these videos help answer
any questions you may have! These videos can also be found on the COVID-

Guidance and Resources LaborNet site.

Reasonable Accommodatio

Earlier this month, DOL’s Civil Rights

Center (CRC) and the OASAM

Workforce Equality Compliance

Office (WECO) hosted a hig

attended open forum for D

employees regarding reasonable

accommodations for individuals wi

disabilities. The session provided

brief overview on reasonable accommodations, the Department’s process f

requesting and approving reasonable accommodations (including roles

responsibilities for employees, as well as supervisors and managers), a

some frequently asked questions that have been received in response to t

COVID-19 pandemic. You can view the recording on LaborNet, where the

slides and meeting transcript are also availabl

While none of the steps in the reasonable accommodation process ha

changed as a result of COVID-19 or reentry, DOL understands the anxiety that

employees may be feeling given the many uncertainties that we have fac

and continue to confront due to COVID-19, especially among those who m

now be facing new or exacerbated medical disabilities and those pursuing t

reasonable accommodation for the first time. This video can be a h

resource for employees seeking an accommodation for the first time 

those who need a refresher. CRC and your agency WECO are here to work

with you! Feel free to reach out to the Reasonable Accommodation Resour

Center or your servicing WECO for additional information and assista

Telework vs. Remote Work Arrangements

The DOL Chief Human Capital Officer (CH

Sydney Rose gave a great explanation of t

difference between telework and remote wo

at the last DOL Town Hall. We encourage you to

watch her part of the presentation if you ha

any questions about this topi

Employee Spotlight
Brenda Padilla, an Employee Benefits Security Administration (E

Investigator from the Los Angeles EBSA Regional Of

began fostering dogs during the pandemic as a way to

offer a safe ”in between” space for dogs in search 

their forever home. Many of the dogs Brenda has

fostered have difficult pasts that make their in

adoption challenging. Although she had not foster

dogs prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Brenda has

found fostering dogs a fruitful journey. It has provided her with a lot 

laughter and fun memories to lean back on what was otherwise a stressful

year. Due to Brenda’s work and loving home, at least three of her foster dogs

have found their homes: Birdie, Moose and Ginger, pictured here.

VaxTrak Reminder

The deadline for submitting an initial response in Va

was September 17th, but employees must update their

response if their vaccination status changes. This will he

the Department ensure the health and safety of our

workforce. You can access VaxTrak from LaborNet, where

you’ll find additional user information for employe

supervisors. Please contact the Enterprise Service Desk via Service Central or

call with any system issues.

Asked & Answered

You asked, and we answered!

Q: Can fully vaccinated employees commence non mission-critical trav

after September 7, 202
A: No. While the Department is in Phase 0 (prior to the start

of Phase 1) of the DOL Internal Reentry and Post-Reentry

Plan, only mission-critical activities that cannot be com

virtually may be performed onsite. Therefore, in Phase 0,

only travel for mission-critical activities that can

completed virtually may be conducted, regardless of the

employee’s vaccination status. During Phase 0 and subsequent phase

agencies must make travel decisions consistent with the guidelines for onsite

work associated with a particular reentry phase. More information a

DOL’s reentry phases can be found on the DOL Reentry Information pag

Q: Is it a violation of privacy or HIPAA to request vaccination sta

A: No, DOL is authorized to collect the information requested on the VaxTr

form pursuant to Executive Order 13991, Protecting the Federal Workf

and Requiring Mask-Wearing (January 20, 2021), Executive Order 1219

Occupational Safety and Health Program for Federal Employees (February 2

1980), and 5 U.S.C. chapters 11, and 79. Additionally, the Department 

Labor is not a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability a

Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Q: I am a 100% remote employee. What should I list as my duty stati

address in VaxTrak?

A: If you are a remote employee, please select the regional (or national) o

address that you would be most likely to report to based on your positio

Q: Are new employees who recently onboarded to DOL able to access

VaxTrak?

A: VaxTrak imports employee data from HRConnect. New employee data is

delayed in VaxTrak because it must first be processed by HRConnect and th

sync with the VaxTrak application. New employees who cannot enter t

VaxTrak system and supervisors who do not see their newly hired direct

reports in the system should expect this issue to be resolved within a couple

weeks. If new employees need to go onsite before they can complete the

VaxTrak form, please fill out the employee certification form in the 

For more FAQs, visit the DOL COVID-19 FAQ LaborNet page!

Want to Learn More?
We have a number of helpful resources available for you on the DOL COVID19 LaborNet page! Information is updated daily — visit some of the mo

popular links below:

DOL Workplace Safety Plan

DOL Reentry and Post-Reentry Plan

Masking Requirements by DOL Locati

Telework

Benefits & Wellne

Training

Questions? Please email us at