244 Full-Time LA City Employees On Unpaid Leave As Municipal Workers' Vaccine Mandate Goes Into Effect
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — At least 244 full-time city employees are on unpaid leave as Los Angeles' vaccine mandate went into effect Saturday, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti's office.
Just over 80% of Los Angeles city employees were in compliance with the vaccination mandate by the Saturday deadline, while another 1.33% have attested to partial vaccination.
An additional 2,508 part-time employees are either on unpaid leave or not scheduled for work for non-compliance with the vaccine mandate, or because they have submitted a medical or religious exemption request. A total of 2,789 exemption requests have been filed as of Friday, but includes a number of duplicates submitted by the same people, according to the mayor's office.
Exemptions will be reviewed over the coming months, but if denied, the employee will have five business days to appeal. If they do not appeal they will be issued a notice that they must provide proof of vaccination or "corrective action" will be taken.
Three city departments have a 100% vaccination rate: the Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department, the Los Angeles City Tourism Department, and the Public Accountability Department. The Employee Relations Board has the lowest vaccination rate with just 37.5%, followed by the Department of Recreation and Parks, which has a 63.39%vaccination rate.
The figures shared by the mayor's office do not include the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)