Cigna to require COVID vaccination

BLOOMFIELD — Health insurer Cigna, the largest public company headquartered in Connecticut, announced this week COVID-19 vaccine requirements for its more than 70,000 employees — a change that the firm said was necessary to protect workers and their families in response to the virus’ resurgence.

Starting Sept. 7, employees who work remotely must be fully vaccinated before entering any U.S. work site, the company said. Beginning Oct. 18, employees whose roles can only be performed onsite — including medical care providers, pharmacists, pharmacy home delivery specialists and others — must be fully vaccinated or receive two negative COVID-19 tests per week before entering their work sites.

“It's clear we need to do more to stop the ongoing spread of COVID-19, and unlike many aspects of the pandemic, keeping our work sites as safe as possible is something we can control,” Dr. Steve Miller, Cigna’s chief clinical officer, said in a statement. “Reducing the risk of exposure to COVID-19 not only protects our workforce and ensures we can continue to meet the needs of our customers and clients, it also helps protect our children and community members who cannot receive the vaccine for health reasons.”

To encourage COVID-19 vaccinations for employees, Bloomfield-headquartered Cigna announced earlier this year that it would provide $200 “incentive awards” to those who become fully vaccinated. In addition, it has held vaccination clinics across the country to help employees, their families and community members get vaccinated.

Officials at the No. 13 company on this year’s Fortune 500 list said the organization has enacted a number of other measures aimed at helping staff during the pandemic. More than 90 percent of employees have been allowed to work from home, according to the company. Cigna plans to reopen offices throughout the fall, but it said that employees who can work from home will continue to have that option.

Cigna said it has also provided all employees 10 days of “emergency time off,” which can be used to stay home when ill, quarantine if needed, provide care to others and get vaccinated.

Among the other 13 Fortune 500 firms headquartered in Connecticut, Norwalk-based information technology provider Xerox is requiring all U.S. employees to “attest” to their vaccination status by indicating whether they are vaccinated, not vaccinated or have an approved exception. Those who are vaccinated must also provide their last date of vaccination and the type of vaccine they received.

Employees do not have to provide vaccine documentation, but company officials said that “failpared ure to provide accurate information is considered a violation of Xerox’s Code of Conduct, which could potentially lead to termination.”

Several other Connecticutbased Fortune 500 firms have said in the past couple of weeks that they are recommending, but not requiring, COVID-19 vaccinations for their workers.

Elsewhere, a growing number of large companies are requiring vaccines for at least some of their employees. That list includes Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Tyson Foods, United Airlines, Walmart and Walt Disney Co.

The growing number of vaccine mandates responds to the escalation in COVID-19 case driven by the delta variant. Connecticut has contained the virus’ spread better than most states, with one of the highest vaccination rates in the country. But its number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations has surged in recent weeks — totaling 344 as of Thursday, comwith 25 as of July 9.

“The question of vaccination mandates is a complex one,” Megan Moran, a Stamford-based senior HR specialist with Insperity, a provider of human resources and business performance services, told Hearst Connecticut Media earlier this month. “Insperity does not universally recommend one approach over another as unique business situations, goals and workplace dynamics dictate the right approach for specific companies.

“For instance, some companies that have employees who interact closely with each other or the public may find it beneficial to enact a mandate to placate concerns of customers or colleagues. However, for business owners that allow employees to work primarily from home, vaccinations may not be an issue that requires employer intervention.”