Vol. 7 | December 2021

DOL Workplace Safety Plan Updates

The DOL COVID 19 Coordination Team will soon release 

updated DOL Workplace Safety Plan (WSP). We have

communicated the latest guidance to you as it has rolled

out, but you will now be able to see all of DOL’s current

guidance in one place in the updated WSP. Highlights from

the latest version include:

Vaccine Requirements – Requirements for Federal employees,

contractor employees, and onsite visitors to be fully vaccinated, plus

enforcement procedures and legal exceptio

Onsite Operation  Occupancy limits related to phased reentr

reasonable accommodations related to reentry, and guidance on safe

hosting and attending in person conferences, meetings, and 

Health and Safety – Masking guidance in various settings, DO

approach to monitoring future transmission levels, and travel, physical

distancing, and exposure/illness policies for fully vaccinated vs. not fully

vaccinated Federal employees, contractors, and visitors

In Case You Missed It

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

all DOL employees:

Message from the Deputy Secretary: Preparing for Workplace Reentry

Use of Duty Time andAdministrative Leave for DOL Federal Employ

COVID-19 Vaccination Purpos

Requests for Medical or Religious Exceptions or Delays to the COVID-

Vaccination Requireme
Federal Employees required to be fully vaccinated by 11/22/21

Extension of Expanded Workplace Flexibilities and Time Chargi

Guidance for Vaccinatio

Masking Requirements by DOL Locati

Reentry Reminders: Key Dates

All employees directed to return to onsite work in Phase 1

have been notified. If you did not receive a Pha

notification, please stay tuned for a Phase 

notific

Please be assured that the DOL COVID-19 Coordinati

Team is closely monitoring COVID 19 transmission rates,

the Omicron variant, and associated CDC and Safer Federal Workforce Task

Force guidance. The Team remains ready to adjust as necessary for the health

and safety of our workforce and the workers we serve. Our Reentry Plan is

designed to adapt to our organization’s needs as the COVID 19 landsca

evolves.

Here are some things to think about as your reentry phase draws nearer:

Monday, December 6, 2021 – Beginning on this date, valid paid parking

permits are required for entry into Frances Perkins Building garages. To

apply for a parking permit, you must complete the DL1-127 Applicati

for Frances Perkins Building Parking Assignment and return it to the

Parking Management Office in FPB room S-1520 or via email

 by December 31, 2021.

Tuesday, December 14, 2021 – Phase 1 Open Forum to address

questions surrounding Phase 1 of reentr

Wednesday, December 15, 2021 – Last day for Phase 1 employees to

reenroll in commuter benefits to use in January. If you are a DC met

rider and your SmarTrip card’s serial number does NOT begin with

0167, you will need to replace it with a new card to be compatible wi

WMATA’s new fare gate system.

Saturday, December 18, 2021 Employees directed to return in Phase 2

will have been notified (45 days prior to the start of Phase

Friday, December 31, 2021 Last day to submit a parking permit

application for FPB parking assignment. After this date, permits wil

sold first to carpool applicants, and then leftover permits will be sol

single rider cars on a first come, first serve ba

Monday, January 3, 2022 Phase 1 begins.
Friday, January 21, 2022 – Employees directed to return in Phase 3 will

have been notified (45 days prior to the start of Phase

Wednesday, February 2, 2022 – Phase 2 begins no earlier than this date.

For more information, please visit the Reentry Information LaborNet pag

reach out to 

Coming Soon: Health and Wellness

Learning Series

A new year can bring new prospects, but it can also bring

change. As we prepare for reentry to onsite work, the

Employee Assistance Program will be hosting a health a

wellness learning series for DOL employees designed to

help participants learn helpful techniques for dealing wi

change at home or in the workplace. Topics include Return

to the Worksite with Ease, Road to Resilience, and Path to

Positive Thinking. All DOL employees are welcome to participate. Regist

is not required. Please be on the lookout for more information on the

upcoming events.

The New and Improved Frances Perkins

Building

The OASAM Business Operatio

Center (BOC) manages the Frances

Perkins Building (FPB) on a

delegation of authority from t

General Services Administrati

(GSA). Other DOL facilitie

including those in the regions, are

managed directly by GSA.

BOC works constantly to repair and

improve the FPB. Since building

occupancy has been low throughout DOL’s period of maximum telework, BOC

undertook several projects to prepare FPB for a safe and healthy return to

onsite work. Some of the completed projects include:

most successful when the organizers focus equally on the needs of the online

participants and the needs of those attending in per

The following tips may be helpful when conducting a hybrid me

Have your equipment ready. Be sure to bring your Government

Furnished Equipment (GFE) laptop, and/or phone, including your

headphones into the offi

Display the leaders/presenters. If possible, display the

leaders/presenters as the main visuals that all attendees see. T

Spotlight feature in Teams is a great way to display online presenters.

Display online participants. If using a shared physical space, try to use

room that has a big screen in the front that can display the video feed of

as many online attendees as possibl

Enable chat. Make sure the chat functionality is turned on in WebE

Teams, etc., so that online participants have another way to contribu

to the discussion.

Include everyone in activities. Make sure to include both the online

in-person attendees in all meeting activities. If there is a mom

people break into small groups, use your platform’s breako

functionality for the online attend

Provide support to online and in-person participants. Know yo

experienced users that can help handle physical hardware (e.g.,

cameras, laptops, etc.) in the room and the online platforms involv

(video conference and/or audio dial-in systems).

Remember, sometimes a virtual option works best. For some mee

it might make for a better experience if everyone participates onl

even if a hybrid option is possibl

The hybrid workplace will likely feel different than it did before the pandemi

Keep in mind that adjusting to the new environment may take some t

but we are here to support you!

The Latest on Booster Shots

On Monday, November 29, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

expanded its recommendations for COVID-19 vaccine boosters. The CDC n

recommends that everyone ages 18 and older should get a booster shot

either when they are six months past their initial Pfizer or Moderna serie

two months after their initial J&J vaccine. The U.S. Food and 

Administration (FDA) previously authorized all individuals 18 years of age a

older eligible to obtain a single booster dose after completion of pri
vaccination with any FDAauthorized or approv

COVID-19 vaccine. This means

that you don’t have to get the

same brand of booster shot

as your initial vaccine. T

CDC provides addition

information about COVID-

vaccine booster shots.

DOL employees may use up to

4 hours of administrative leave per additional dose for themselves or

family member they accompany to an appointment. Please check LaborNet

for additional details regarding administrative leave for booster sh

At this time, DOL employees are not required to report booster shots 

VaxTrak, as the system is not currently configured for users to enter this ty

of information. We will let you know if and when these capabilities

requirements change.

Procurement Guidance

Pursuant to Executive Ord

14042, covered contractors

must ensure that all covered

contractor employees are

fully vaccinated for COVID-19

unless the employee is legally

entitled to 

accommodation or the

covered worksite is located in

a jurisdiction express

excepted by a court order.

Covered contractor employees must be fully vaccinated no later than January

18, 2022.

A covered contractor may be required to provide an accommodation 

contractor employees who communicate to the covered contractor that they

are not vaccinated against COVID-19, or that they cannot wear a mask,

because of a disability (which would include medical conditions) or becau

of a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance. The contractor 

responsible for considering, and dispositioning, such requests f
accommodations regardless of the covered contractor employee’s place 

performance. Contractors should notify their contracting officers when

their employees who works onsite at a Federal workplace has received an

exception to the requirement to be fully vaccinate

Check out these resources on the DOL

COVID-19 LaborNet page!

VaxTrak Homepage

Vaccine Info

Reentry Info

Health and Safety Guidance

Workplace Flexibiliti

DOL Plans and Procedures

Medical and Religious

Accommodations for Vacci

Requirement

Training and Video Resources

Questions? Please email us at