Details of the employer requirements under the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) are spelled out on Lockton’s ETS Compliance Alert including a registration link for a webcast on Wednesday, November 10th from 2-3 CST.

In summary, ETS announced today by OSHA requires that employers with 100 or more employees must develop, implement and enforce a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy OR adopt a policy to ensure that their workers are fully vaccinated or tested at least weekly.
Steps such as policy establishment, employee vaccination status, communication and records retention have a deadline of December 5, 2021 with weekly testing commences no later than January 4, 2022. ​

Employers have been asking Lockton for a vaccine communication resource.  Here is a COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Resource an overview about vaccine safety, efficacy, how the vaccine works, and commonly asked questions to help navigate information available.

Employers can take many steps to prepare. The experts at Lockton Companies have put together an Employer Checklist for COVID-19 Vaccines of items and issues to consider as employers determine the best course of action for their workforce.

The Checklist Addresses:

• Covering the cost of vaccine
• Developing a vaccine policy
• Developing a communication plan
• Navigating where your workforce can get a vaccine  

​The rise of the Delta variant across the U.S. has employers revisiting vaccination strategies for their workforces. Employers are trying to balance the desire to keep employees safe in the workplace with providing employees the freedom of personal choice when it comes to being vaccinated. Lockton's latest Webcasts are designed to capture new Federal requirements and employer responses to these pressing issues.
September 14, 2021 Webcast
Feds poised to issue vaccine and testing mandates for thousands of employers: What's in store for you?
Click image below for Webcast Replay

Benefits compliance in 2021 has never been more challenging; the implications of the Affordable Care Act pale in comparison to 2021. Employers are required to know all of their obligations. We understand the intensity of compliance and have created a 2021-22 Compliance Playbook to help you. This playbook summarizes the vexing challenges Employers are facing and gives you practical, real world advice on how to understand these obligations. 
 
Topics covered:
• Cafeteria plan & flexible spending account accommodations
• Change tax treatment of dependent care benefits (qualifying children)
• Outbreak period guidance (suspension of COBRA and HIPAA special deadlines)
• American Rescue Plan Act COBRA subsidies & their interplay the outbreak
• Mental health parity
• Healthcare plan cost reporting
• Prohibition on price and quality data gag clauses
• Healthcare plan online price comparison tool
• Healthcare plan “advance explanations of benefits”
• In-network, out-of-network and prescription drug costs
• Surprise billing requirements and protocols
• New ID cards
• New network accuracy requirements
• New “continuity of care” disclosures
• New broker/consultant/vendor compensation disclosure requirements

For more information on these topics and more, please contact me ​

"Employers have significant pressure on their healthcare costs. While many look for new solutions, there are also considerable savings in their current spend,” says Rebecca Lich, PharmD, MBA Pharmacy Practice Leader in Lockton’s Denver office. “Twenty two cents of every healthcare dollar is used for prescription drugs. Employers must have best-in-class agreements in place, but we also need to ensure those agreements are met. Every employer should take a ‘trust but verify’ approach through a pricing reconciliation audit. There is money to be found."
"Employers have significant pressure on their healthcare costs. While many look for new solutions, there are also considerable savings in their current spend,” says Rebecca Lich, PharmD, MBA Pharmacy Practice Leader in Lockton’s Denver office. “Twenty two cents of every healthcare dollar is used for prescription drugs. Employers must have best-in-class agreements in place, but we also need to ensure those agreements are met. Every employer should take a ‘trust but verify’ approach through a pricing reconciliation audit. There is money to be found."