Monument U.S. Team,

As we continue to manage the challenges of the pandemic, please know that your health and safety is a top priority. Currently, we are navigating the regulatory and customer requirements in response to President Biden’s recent Executive Order and Vaccine Mandate.

We know this topic is deeply personal, and our leadership, HR, and legal teams are working diligently to understand how this will impact our workforce. Rest assured we are watching this situation closely and will continue to update you as we know more.

Here is what we know so far:

• On September 9, President Biden and his administration released an Executive Order requiring all employees of federal contractors or subcontractors to be vaccinated by December 8, 2021.
• This requirement applies to federal contractors and all their employees, subcontractors, and vendors, and must be obeyed to avoid loss of revenue, customers, and governmental fines. (NOTE: Haltermann Solutions has federal contracts.)
• The Executive Order (and accompanying guidance) does not allow a testing option or exemption for natural immunity. Employees may request exemptions for religious or medical reasons.
• The Biden Administration also announced a new plan calling for OSHA to require employers with more than 100 employees to implement a new emergency temporary standard (ETS) that would require employees to be either fully vaccinated or subject to weekly COVID-19 testing. As of today, we are still waiting on OSHA to publish its requirements under this plan.

It is possible that the plans released by the Biden Administration will be challenged in the courts, and we have no way to predict the outcome. In the meantime, we are in communications with current customers and vendors to learn about their COVID-19 vaccination requirements for employees who come on-site to their locations.

For now, we have not mandated the vaccine and respect your right to choose whether to get vaccinated. However, until a court rules on any challenge, we are bound to comply with these regulations, which impose new job requirements in some roles and offices, so we strongly encourage all employees to get vaccinated. If your role requires vaccination, you will be notified by your manager or HR team member. Currently, we are not changing any other COVID-related policies.

As a next step, you will be asked to disclose your vaccination status during benefits open enrollment, which began Wednesday, October 27. Your participation is important for us so we can understand, manage, and respond to the current needs of our employees, customers, and vendors.

This pandemic continues to challenge our business in ways none of us could have predicted. We have been inspired by how you have persevered – and believe we will continue to succeed as we work through this together. If you have questions, please reach out to your manager or Human Resources contact. 

Stay Safe…Stay Healthy!

The Monument Global Leadership Team