ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Albany County employees will not be penalized for having COVID vaccine appointments in the middle of the work day.
In the latest effort to get more people vaccinated, the Albany County Legislature passed a resolution on Monday that provides up to four hours of paid time-off so County employees can receive the COVID-19 vaccination. It will also be applied to employees who used time off for this reason on or after December 1.
The cost to the County is expected to be minimal and the Legislature hopes that by allowing employees to have time flexibility for their vaccine appointments, there will be fewer absences related to COVID quarantines and illnesses.
“I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for passing this resolution tonight,” said Deputy Majority Leader Lynne Lekakis, who sponsored the resolution. “It’s the right thing to do. We are in the middle of a pandemic, so anything we can do to get people vaccinated and encourage vaccinations is something we should be doing.”
Legislator Raymond Joyce, Chairman of the Health Committee, added that Albany County employees have been “pivotal” throughout the pandemic and it was the Legislature’s turn to give these workers the ability to take care of themselves and their families.
