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TVA employees asked to certify vaccine status, unvaccinated may face travel limits, extra testing

Staff file photo / The Chattanooga Office Complex that houses the power headquarters for the Tennessee Valley Authority has been largely empty for the past year and a half with limited staffing due to TVA's maximum telework program. Most of the workers assigned to the complex are among those who will continue to telework until January under a decision announced this week by the federal utility.
Staff file photo / The Chattanooga Office Complex that houses the power headquarters for the Tennessee Valley Authority has been largely empty for the past year and a half with limited staffing due to TVA's maximum telework program. Most of the workers assigned to the complex are among those who will continue to telework until January under a decision announced this week by the federal utility. Staff file photo / The Chattanooga Office Complex that houses the power headquarters for the Tennessee Valley Authority has been largely empty for the past year and a half with limited staffing due to TVA's maximum telework program. Most of the workers assigned to the complex are among those who will continue to telework until January under a decision announced this week by the federal utility.

By Dave Flessner 3 min read

The Tennessee Valley Authority will ask all of its employees and contractors next week if they have been vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus and if they have not – or they opt not to answer the question – the agency may soon restrict the employees’ travel or require additional tests to ensure any unvaccinated workers are not spreading the virus, TVA announced Friday.

Acting under regulations developed by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, TVA told employees Friday that all workers will have to respond to a questionnaire next week on their vaccination status.

TVA is not requiring its employees or contractors to be vaccinated against the coronavirus which President Biden is urging for all employees in the U.S. military and some local healthcare employers like Memorial Hospital, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, PruittHealth and Elmcroft Senior Living are mandating for some or all of their workers.

But TVA said those who don’t certify that they are vaccinated may be subject to additional testing, travel limits and potentially work restrictions around unvaccinated workers.”

“Those who attest to not being fully vaccinated or who decline to disclose their status must wear a face covering at all times while on TVA property (in accordance with both federal and TVA guidelines), must maintain physical distance, must undergo new screening test protocols and have their official travel restricted,” TVA said in a letter sent to all of its nearly 10,000 employees on Friday.