Bloomberg Industry mandates employees disclose vaccination status

The union that represents journalists at Bloomberg Industry Group sent out the following on Friday:

Dear Colleagues,

Following today’s HR Update announcing, among other things, the mandatory disclosure of employee vaccination status by July 30, we thought it would be helpful to provide some answers to common questions that have arisen, and talk about some actions that we can all take together next week.

Here are the FAQs:

Q1. Can INDG really make me submit information about my vaccine status like my vaccination card as a condition of employment?

A1. Yes, this is lawful in D.C. and Virginia.

Q2. One of my coworkers isn’t vaccinated and isn’t wearing a mask/is in a conference room/doing something they aren’t supposed to be doing. What should I do?

A2. The company has not created a process for reporting these concerns and is checking to make sure the rules about masks, conference rooms, etc. are being followed on, at most, an occasional basis. At this time, we suggest sending an email to your HR business partner to discuss your concerns. You can also contact the Guild so that we can track how many similar issues are popping up.

Q3. I placed a request for accommodations or flexibility around RTO and I was denied/haven’t heard back. What’s going on?

A3. We know many bargaining unit members are frustrated or confused by the way their requests have been handled. Please take a moment to share your experience in this poll about requests for accommodations or flexibility: https://forms.gle/X47jbs5zfB9gcCLx9. If you believe you have been discriminated against or treated unfairly in this process, contact a Guild officer or steward to discuss the next steps.

Q4. Wait! I was supposed to request something?!

A4. The company has been processing personal health concerns around RTO as ADA requests. If this applies to you and you have not submitted a request, you can watch the video at this link to learn about the process: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/bt7H6A-eRwOaeCgeXpTlmicDLCXaljG4s08MUeBPmnzXV1MbpLFj651rUxfgADak.IbdKryTQdNoOe0I6 (Passcode: NV4V#mi!). If you have another type of concern, the instructions from HR are to bring that to your direct manager. Please make these requests ASAP! RTO is here, and we want people to be taken care of.

Q5. I have a problem with the way RTO is being handled. What can I do?

A5. Please contact a Guild officer or steward to get involved in our campaign against forced RTO or to join the Guild and bolster our efforts.

As we head back to the office next week, there are several steps we can all take to act together in an informed and empowered manner:

1. The Safety Committee will be monitoring health and safety conditions and will be meeting with management to discuss employee concerns.  If you witness or experience something that makes you feel unsafe, please bring it to the attention of Ben Cooper (bcooper@bloombergindustry.com) or Shira Stein (sstein@bloombergindustry.com).
2. The BHome Return to Office page now contains information on Reported Covid-19 Cases.  You can monitor these at https://bhome.bna.com/bhome/home/news-video/covid-19/covid-19-case-info.
3. We will be wearing black to work on Tuesday, July 27 to remember those we have lost to COVID-19, acknowledge our own mortality, and observe INDG’s apparent disregard for our health and safety.  Please join us in wearing black to work, whether you’re in the office on Tuesday or working remotely.

In solidarity,

Jason Albright

Unit Chair