OLYMPIA, Wash. - The deadline for many state workers to get the COVID- 19 vaccine is just a little more than a month away.
Washington State Patrol says so far nearly 400 workers have applied for religious exemption - 215 commissioned employees and 69 civil service employees have been approved.
The agency says finding accommodations for them to their jobs safely has been a challenge.
“Most of these, especially on the commission side, are very public facing situations, finding accommodations where they don’t have to meet the public is just very difficult. We haven’t been able to do that,” said Chris Loftis, Communications Director for Washington State Patrol.
The Washington State Patrol Troopers Association released a statement that read in part, “The WSPTA believes the state can safely accommodate all those who have obtained a religious and medical exemption through rigorous testing and requiring appropriate PPE.”
If WSP can’t find accommodations for these exempt employees, it could result in separation from employment.
“These jobs are important. They save lives and maintain order. To lose any capacity for that is a loss,” said Loftis.
In response, WSPTA says “terminating veteran state employees is the wrong way to go about this and will be harmful to the safety of the public and the WSP as an agency.”
Washington’s vaccination mandate deadline for state workers is Oct. 18.