Biden also announce using the Defense Production Act to step up the production of tests, specifically at-home test kits. So hopefully the health care-administered tests can be used for symptomatic people and the home kits can be used for people who want to test for travel or whatever.
My concern is that the home test kits aren’t super-accurate for asymptomatic people, so those might not make a great choice for the people who elect for weekly testing instead of vaccination? Can anyone who currently tests periodically for work weigh in on this?
I can weigh in that I just took a rapid test sent to me from the cdc for their post-international travel program and it was positive. I went and got a PCR and it’s negative. Took a second PCR at a free testing site just to confirm and will get those results in 3-4 days. I have no symptoms. So I’m not feeling great (and a little salty) about the reliability of the rapid tests at the moment.
Can I complain about feeling like crap here? I have watery, itchy eyes and nose, post nasal drip. congestion, a little coughing, lots of sneezing and I feel wiped out. One family member at home had the same symptoms last Wednesday. We got them a PCR test on Thursday and it came back negative on Friday.
My symptoms started this Tuesday but are definitely worse today. I went and took a PCR test this afternoon and then took an at-home rapid test. The result for the rapid test is negative. I won't know the PCR results until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.
I'm fully vaccinated and I'm a militant mask wearer and social distancer. I'm going to be so pissed if the PCR test is positive. On the other hand, I had this thought earlier of "Oh! What if it's a cold? That's something I haven't had in 18 months."
Also people leaving the healthcare field aren’t going to find jobs that pay as well in some areas, unless they have a different highly sought after skill set. As a social worker I made way more working in healthcare than other areas of the field
Yes, it might have been something they felt they could do a month ago. Now best of luck.
And it is a lucrative job easily available in rural and urban areas. Truly best of luck to them.
Post by RoxMonster on Sept 9, 2021 20:47:12 GMT -5
In IL, the governor had mandated all teachers/school staff to get vaccinated or test weekly, and my district (and I think all?) is not accepting home tests for that. I'm assuming all because my district initially said yes for home tests and then changed it and said, oh wait, no we can't accept them.
Post by Velar Fricative on Sept 9, 2021 21:06:43 GMT -5
I didn’t read to closely, but the data from some of the major at-home brands shows pretty high accuracy rates even for asymptomatic people. At least, higher than I thought. We ended up using Ellume tests before traveling to meet up family (vaccinated, just trying to be careful) based on where I was at the time of testing (a place that barely has any testing sites). Not a bad experience and no false negatives.
In my city, testing is still very much available and easy to do, so I would still rather do on-site testing but the home kits are a decent option for certain situations.
My company is mandating vaccines for all US employees and gave a date when unvaccinated will be unemployed immediately if their records are not updated. This is huge and the email we received was not sugarcoated. <3
My H works for this company (we figured this out last year on Instagram lol!) and he was excited to get this email. He actually has a person his team that he works closely with (figuratively speaking - they are all remote) who is refusing to get the vax because.....reasons......and he thinks he is going to quit and try to find a different job. OK bye!
I went on the anonymous social app and people are up in arms because they didn’t do the initial survey to “stand their ground”. Now they’ll be fired and won’t get those promotions and bonuses anyway
Does anyone else feel nervous energy about what people are going to do now that the mandate is here? Combined with the gathering of nuts on 9/18 in DC, I'm super worried something is going to happen.
Our governor mandated vaccines for all healthcare workers starting October 1, but had to back that up four weeks because many hospitals are saying there just won’t be staff to replace the ones let go. I hope the mandate is effective; I’m not sure if people will dig in their heels and refuse, or get the vaccine because there aren’t a lot of other options for well-paying jobs in the rural counties.
If some knucklehead still won't get the shot and works for a company of 100+ employees, who pays for his tests? I'm assuming the companies do, but I hope they can pass that onto the asshats refusing the vaccine.
If some knucklehead still won't get the shot and works for a company of 100+ employees, who pays for his tests? I'm assuming the companies do, but I hope they can pass that onto the asshats refusing the vaccine.
I assumed the individual, but I guess it would up to the company. Insurance has been paying for tests up to this point, but with the mandate I wonder if they are going to start requiring a doctor's order before paying.
Does anyone know when this goes into effect? Like by what date employees have to be vaccinated? I know it’s still early so maybe they are trying to figure out the details but my company has not said a word about this
Does anyone know when this goes into effect? Like by what date employees have to be vaccinated? I know it’s still early so maybe they are trying to figure out the details but my company has not said a word about this
Everything I've read has said, "OSHA is developing the rule." So nothing yet on exact dates.
I'm really interested to see how this new mandate plays out with objecting governors. Our Guvnuh (SC) has already put out a statement that he will "fight them to the gates of hell to protect the liberty and livelihood of every South Carolinian". (He definitely does not see the irony in his choice to use the word "livelihood")
If some knucklehead still won't get the shot and works for a company of 100+ employees, who pays for his tests? I'm assuming the companies do, but I hope they can pass that onto the asshats refusing the vaccine.
I assumed the individual, but I guess it would up to the company. Insurance has been paying for tests up to this point, but with the mandate I wonder if they are going to start requiring a doctor's order before paying.
That seems problematic from the perspective of encouraging people to test if they have symptoms or a possible exposure. It's already often difficult to get tested, so adding an additional hoop to jump through is not great.
However I do hope unvaxxed people have to pay for their tests.
Does anyone else feel nervous energy about what people are going to do now that the mandate is here? Combined with the gathering of nuts on 9/18 in DC, I'm super worried something is going to happen.
yes, I had a family member freak out on Instagram last night & was furiously reposting all the Faux news outrage and anti-vaxer and dictator talking points.
I did like the Axios take on it this morning & I think most people will be fine & a few loud people will freak out and then move on...
Several Republican governors say they'll go to court to try to stop the mandate for federal employees, contractors and private employers with 100+ workers (enforced by OSHA).
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem told Sean Hannity on Fox News: "In South Dakota, we’re going to be free. ... We will take action. My legal team is already working."
A top House Republican aide tells me: "Every Republican in the country — especially those running to the right in primaries — is salivating over Joe Biden [igniting] the vax debate."
"Republicans think that he's made even pro-vax conservatives into 'anti-vax mandate' Americans."
An official close to Biden tells me the West Wing "knew there would be strong backlash. But unless someone took this on, we'd be in a pandemic forever."
"Biden beat Trump by promising strong action based on science. He can't let Abbott/DeSantis block tough action."
Invoking a civil-rights parallel, the official added: "Basically Biden is staring down Southern governors (and some Northern allies). ... Is America divided? Yes. But Biden is uniting the 75% vs. the 25% that is in opposition."
The official's bottom line: "That is unity politics in a divided nation — unifying the overwhelming majority threatened by an unruly minority."
If some knucklehead still won't get the shot and works for a company of 100+ employees, who pays for his tests? I'm assuming the companies do, but I hope they can pass that onto the asshats refusing the vaccine.
I assumed the individual, but I guess it would up to the company. Insurance has been paying for tests up to this point, but with the mandate I wonder if they are going to start requiring a doctor's order before paying.
Yes where I worked just announced that non-healthcare people can test weekly with a pcr test and it's the employees responsibility to pay. Where I live testing is still super easy to get and is free. As in, you can just say you don't have insurance and you can get tested at a lot of different places. The main thing with the testing option is the hassle, imo. If your work week starts on Monday, you have to have a test result in by Sunday night, or else you can't come to work & have to take PTO. You also can't WFH if your test result is pending and again have to take PTO. Seems super disruptive to try to juggle getting tested every Friday, so your result is in by Sunday night.
Does anyone else feel nervous energy about what people are going to do now that the mandate is here? Combined with the gathering of nuts on 9/18 in DC, I'm super worried something is going to happen.
Not really, but I have been avoiding the backlash stories. Vaccine mandates have been the norm for a very long time. So yeah, it's like everyone forgot polio or something.
My personal opinion is that it would be a domino effect of more and more places mandating vaccines until there is just small mom and pop shops not doing it.
I mean the nuts were planning to gather before this, and they will be nutty either way if Jan 6 is any indicator.
If some knucklehead still won't get the shot and works for a company of 100+ employees, who pays for his tests? I'm assuming the companies do, but I hope they can pass that onto the asshats refusing the vaccine.
i am admittedly curious about the logistics for employers.
are they expected to have someone doing rapids on site? what about remote workers? what about remote workers who travel?
three are just... so many variables here. as an HR lady this is instantly where my mind goes. the nonsense that ensued when my company began offering a vaccine incentive were wild. i cannot imagine how this is going to play out for employers at large.
I assumed the individual, but I guess it would up to the company. Insurance has been paying for tests up to this point, but with the mandate I wonder if they are going to start requiring a doctor's order before paying.
Yes where I worked just announced that non-healthcare people can test weekly with a pcr test and it's the employees responsibility to pay. Where I live testing is still super easy to get and is free. As in, you can just say you don't have insurance and you can get tested at a lot of different places. The main thing with the testing option is the hassle, imo. If your work week starts on Monday, you have to have a test result in by Sunday night, or else you can't come to work & have to take PTO. You also can't WFH if your test result is pending and again have to take PTO. Seems super disruptive to try to juggle getting tested every Friday, so your result is in by Sunday night.
turnaround times aren't even always that reliable. it sounds extremely disruptive.
Yes where I worked just announced that non-healthcare people can test weekly with a pcr test and it's the employees responsibility to pay. Where I live testing is still super easy to get and is free. As in, you can just say you don't have insurance and you can get tested at a lot of different places. The main thing with the testing option is the hassle, imo. If your work week starts on Monday, you have to have a test result in by Sunday night, or else you can't come to work & have to take PTO. You also can't WFH if your test result is pending and again have to take PTO. Seems super disruptive to try to juggle getting tested every Friday, so your result is in by Sunday night.
turnaround times aren't even always that reliable. it sounds extremely disruptive.
Post by wanderingback on Sept 10, 2021 10:55:14 GMT -5
As far as Biden goes and these new measures, does anyone else seem to wonder what has taken him so long to "step up"? I know the last president was shit, so maybe we just didn't have high expectations?
I don't expect daily or weekly press conferences necessarily anymore, but a lot of people have talked about how testing has been a mess for months now in many places. Why hadn't that been addressed back in the spring from a federal standpoint? I know he did the required masks in federal places, but other than that it seems like states have been left to flounder in many ways since the spring. Ours cases here have gone up a little bit, but not too bad and hospitalizations and deaths aren't too bad, so there does seem to be some things that the federal government can help with such as masking, testing, etc in other areas of the country. Vaccines are great obviously, but we still need to take a multi-layered approach.
i am admittedly curious about the logistics for employers.
are they expected to have someone doing rapids on site? what about remote workers? what about remote workers who travel?
three are just... so many variables here. as an HR lady this is instantly where my mind goes. the nonsense that ensued when my company began offering a vaccine incentive were wild. i cannot imagine how this is going to play out for employers at large.
The language of the press release indicated it was for employees who are in person. We'll have to wait for the OSHA rule to be sure.
Post by Patsy Baloney on Sept 10, 2021 10:56:26 GMT -5
I started to read some of the hot take responses yesterday on Twitter and comment sections, and couldn’t even do it. Just shut the fuck up and get vaccinated. Christ almighty, haven’t we suffered for your ignorance long enough?
i am admittedly curious about the logistics for employers.
are they expected to have someone doing rapids on site? what about remote workers? what about remote workers who travel?
three are just... so many variables here. as an HR lady this is instantly where my mind goes. the nonsense that ensued when my company began offering a vaccine incentive were wild. i cannot imagine how this is going to play out for employers at large.
Essentially our policy is that everything is on the employee. So no, rapid tests aren't allowed, it has to be pcr and no one is on site to administer tests. You have to go get it on your own and upload it in to a system (that IT is working on). I know HR in conjunction with our lawyers have been working on the policy for awhile even before Biden's announcement. Our org still hasn't officially restarted travel, but I assume if you travel, once you return back to the office then same rules apply and if you miss a test, again it's your fault and you better figure something out.
So essentially people are going to have to take PTO when there tests aren't in in time and I assume if that happens repeatedly they're going to get fired. I assume that again HR and legal have signed off on this being an ok approach.
The only thing I don't know, from a back end perspective is who is monitoring who's tests are missing. Thankfully I do think most of the people where I work are vaccinated, so it's not like it's hundreds of people to keep track of, but that is a big lift to keep track of.