Clark County employers continue to assess COVID vaccine policy

Posted Jan 20, 2022

Springfield News and Sun by Hasan Karim

Businesses in Clark County with 100 or more employees are assessing their COVID-19 policies as a federal vaccine-or-test mandate that would have impacted them has been recently stayed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The federal mandate, that would have been enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, would have required private companies with 100 or more people to either require their employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine or participate in weekly testing.

However, a vaccination requirement for health care workers at facilities receiving federal money was upheld and that mandate is to be implemented.

The court’s ruling regarding non health care workers will allow those employers to dictate for themselves on whether or not a vaccine requirement is necessary, said Ross McGregor, president of Springfield manufacturer Pentaflex.

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“The government needs to let each of those businesses develop and implement a response that is catered to their particular situation as it relates to COVID,” McGregor said.

“It should be up to the individual businesses and not mandated by a governmental entity,” he said, noting that not every business is dealing with the same situation under COVID.

Some workplaces have enforced social distancing measures or the nature of their work allows for those policies to be more effective, while others, that are able to, have resorted to remote work.

The Ohio Manufacturing Association (OMA) applauded the court’s ruling.

“Our association has continuously supported employers’ rights to determine their own workplace policies with respect to COVID-19 vaccination,” the OMA said. “The court’s ruling reaffirms that private businesses are in the best position to decide what measures make the most sense to protect their workforces and company operations.”

For Pentaflex, the spacing of employees and the layout of the workplace allows for social distancing and measures have been taken to minimize the grouping of employees, especially in the break room, said McGregor.

He said employees are encouraged to get the vaccine as well as wear a mask in the workplace. However those measure are not required.

Roughly 57% of employees are vaccinated and McGregor said that the company has been working to accommodate as well as help facilitate those appointments for those who wish to receive a vaccine.

Pentaflex has 103 employees. Roughly 10 of those employees are classified as temporary labor, putting the company’s official personnel under 100.

But, McGregor said that those numbers often fluctuate and that puts the company at the cusp of potentially being required to follow the federal mandate if it is enforced.

He said that there have been some disruptions due to some employees testing positive for COVID and not being at work as result. However, it has not interfered with the company’s ability to support customers.

McGregor said if it that does become a problem, he would have to consider requiring the vaccine.

Currently, those who were out with COVID have to wear a mask for a marked period of time when returning to work, per guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he said.

Other manufacturer’s such as Topre America have also decided to continue on with the policy of strongly encouraging employees to get vaccinated, while not making it a requirement.

Topre has a facility in Springfield that employs roughly 600 people and makes auto parts. The company has nine facilities in the country and it operates in four states.

“We are trying to be respectful of everyone’s decision and thought process. There is a sector of the workforce that does not want to get vaccinated. We do not want to infringe on their rights and their personal choices,” said Brad Pepper, executive vice president of Topre America.

The company has kept track of the percentage of employees at its facilities that are vaccinated. However, Pepper declined to share that information. He previous stated that they would be in good shape if the mandate was enacted.

Pepper said that employees are encouraged to be safe and how the Springfield facility operates allows for social distancing. Plexiglass partitions have also been set up at workstations.

He said that mask wearing is optional, but is encouraged by the company. Topre is also working to prevent large gatherings inside the work place.

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Talks surrounding vaccine mandates come at a time when COVID cases and hospitalizations have surged, with omicron becoming the dominant variant. That has lead to some companies to mitigate between COVID safety measures, while also pondering whether or not to enforce a vaccine mandate.

“For the most part our businesses have done a good job in handling the latest surge the omicron variant has brought to our area and (they) continue to operate as normal as possible,” said Mike McDorman, president and CEO of the Greater Springfield Partnership.

For those able to resort to remote work, he said it has given businesses a better chance of navigating any further spikes in cases or mandates that might be enacted.

“Many of our larger businesses are still offering remote work opportunities to their employees, especially those who are considered at risk,” McDorman said.

Assurant, which is a global provider of risk management products and services, still has the majority of its Springfield employees working from home.

Assurant has a Springfield location that employs roughly 1,600 people. Those working in the office are to follow safety protocols such as mask-wearing and social distancing, Linda Recupero, a spokesperson for the company previously stated.