Due to the ongoing concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic and new measures to encourage vaccination, employers will be faced with new record keeping requirements. In addition to the mandates on health care workers and federal contractors, President Biden recently announced that the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will be issuing an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) requiring all employers with 100+ employees to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated or require any workers who remain unvaccinated to produce negative test results on at least a weekly basis before coming to work.

There will likely be many applicants and employees who will not willingly adhere to the new mandates, and employers are cautioned to ensure they are following all federal, state, and local laws. As always, employers should consult with their legal counsel to ensure they are in compliance with these various laws. Additionally, the EEOC has provided helpful technical assistance related to mandatory employer vaccination programs, including best practice tips to notify all employees that the employer will consider requests for reasonable accommodations based on disability or religion on an individualized basis. The assistance also outlines how to store COVID-19 vaccination records, including to treat the record like all medical information, which is kept confidential and stored separately from the employee’s personnel files under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  With no registry to verify vaccination records, employers are faced with the challenges of new recordkeeping requirements and no way to check the accuracy of the records.

Hire Image’s New Covid-19 Vaccination Status Document Management Service

To assist employers with their recordkeeping and document management system, Hire Image is offering a secure document portal that can be linked directly to our clients’ accounts. The applicant’s or employee’s information will remain confidential and only viewable to those with account access.

The process is simple. Once an applicant or employee has completed their online disclosure and authorization forms, they will be prompted to upload their vaccination information via the document portal. They can then upload a digital copy or photograph of their vaccination card. The system clearly shows completion with a green check mark, along with a list of the documents that have been uploaded in the Attachment section of the file.

Hire Image can also follow up with the applicant or employee regarding a second shot, if one was not previously obtained, and booster shots, if that becomes necessary. We will guide the applicant or employee on uploading the updated documents for the employer’s review.

Here is an example of the upload process on our secure system:

With all of the challenges and pivots over the past year and a half, employers have enough to worry about. Let Hire Image assist you in this process, as we continue to provide the most comprehensive background check services. Contact your customer service representative to learn more today at contact@hireimage.com or (888) 433-0090.