Costs Related to Incentives Paid to Employees to Vaccinate

[ji20874]

In my first comment in this thread, I wrote,

Quote

I think you need to separately address the incentive for an employee obtaining a vaccine and the incentive for an employee seeking an exemption from the contractor. 

If it were me, I would not approve an incentive payment program for people who have not gotten the vaccine.  If the purpose if to encourage vaccinations to help reduce the threat to public health, those who accomplish the purpose (receive the vaccine) may receive the incentive payment.  Those who do not accomplish the purpose, but instead obtain waivers or exemptions, do not receive the incentive payment -- obtaining a waiver or exemption is not affirmatively helping reduce the threat to public health.  But that's me.  Apparently, some others see things differently.

[Don Mansfield]

If the contract requires the contractor to ensure that its employees are either vaccinated or meet an exemption, and the contractor tasks its employees with either showing proof of vaccination or providing documentation to support an exemption, I think the payments to the employees would be covered under FAR 31.205-6 (Compensation for Personal Services). The goal of the contractor would be to meet a contract requirement. 

[Retreadfed]

Hit, is FAR 52.223-99 in the contract?  If so, how does that affect your thinking on this issue?

[C Culham]

53 minutes ago, ji20874 said:

In my first comment in this thread, I wrote,

If it were me, I would not approve an incentive payment program for people who have not gotten the vaccine.  If the purpose if to encourage vaccinations to help reduce the threat to public health, those who accomplish the purpose (receive the vaccine( may receive the incentive payment.  Those who do not accomplish the purpose, but instead obtain waivers or exemptions, do not receive the incentive payment -- obtaining a waiver or exemption is not affirmatively helping reduce the threat to public health.  But that's me.  Apparently, some others see things differently.

Ah but I wonder how an agency or even a particular CO looks at what the mandate actually is and then bends it to their particular view....."Executive Order on Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors".  

[ji20874]

If I were in charge of approving paid parental leave, I would approve it only for new birth or adoptive parents.  I would not approve the leave for people with waivers and exceptions to parenthood.  Those waivers and exceptions to parenthood might be honest and honorable, but they don't qualify for the benefit or the purpose of the program in the first place.  But as I said before, that's me -- some others see things differently.

[HitTheNutz]

13 minutes ago, ji20874 said:

If I were in charge of approving paid parental leave, I would approve it only for new birth or adoptive parents.  I would not approve the leave for people with waivers and exceptions to parenthood.  Those waivers and exceptions to parenthood might be honest and honorable, but they don't qualify for the benefit or the purpose of the program in the first place.  But as I said before, that's me -- some others see things differently.

🤣

[HitTheNutz]

1 hour ago, Retreadfed said:

Hit, is FAR 52.223-99 in the contract?  If so, how does that affect your thinking on this issue?

Hi Retreadfed - Unfortunately, I do not emphatically know the answer to that question.  I am fairly certain it does not include this clause as this is not a newly awarded contract; but one which was already in place.  Thanks,

[Retreadfed]

2 hours ago, HitTheNutz said:

I am fairly certain it does not include this clause as this is not a newly awarded contract; but one which was already in place. 

Many contracting officers modified existing contracts to include the clause regardless of when the contract was awarded.