Summit County Sheriff’s Office has a Mandatory Vaccination Policy

The Summit County Sheriff’s Office has a mandatory vaccination policy, although staff members can still apply for an exemption based on a health issue or sincere religious belief.

The first directive from the sheriff’s office came on May 16, which informed staff of the new policy. At that time, staff members could choose to wear a mask if they refused to be vaccinated.

But when a second directive was released on November 16, the vaccination policy became mandatory for all staff. The directive stated that those “unable to benefit from reasonable accommodation and not wishing to be vaccinated will be placed on unpaid medical leave until their employment status is determined by the (Summit County Sheriff’s Office) and the Human resources department “.

The directive indicates that accommodations may be considered when they do not cause undue hardship to the sheriff’s office or pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others. He noted that these will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

In an email, Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons said many of his employees were still in the process of accommodation as of Thursday, December 23.

Employees are responsible for scheduling their appointment and providing proof of vaccination within 30 days of ordering. The directive stated that they would all be paid for the time it took them to get the vaccine.