CDCR: Employees who refuse mandatory COVID-19 testing to be sent home without pay

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KION) The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has updated its requirements for mandatory COVID-19 testing for employees, and the agency says staff members who refuse it will be sent home without pay.

Those who refuse testing are also subject to disciplinary action. All CDCR and Division of Juvenile Justice employees are subject to mandatory testing, except for those who are working remotely only.

If an employee cannot get a test due to a disability, they are asked to notify their supervisor and Return-to-Work Coordinator.

An employee can request religious accommodation by contacting an Equal Employment Opportunity Coordinator and submit a request for reasonable or religious accommodation. Until a decision is made, they can request permission to stay off work using leave credits or take an unpaid leave of absence.

When an employee initially refuses, they will be given a Letter of Introduction. If they still refuse after that and cannot show that they tried to schedule a test and were unable to within the given timeframe, they will go without pay and the Hiring Authority will submit a Confidential Request for Internal Affairs Investigation/Notice of Direct Adverse Action form.

If a probationary employee refuses testing, the Hiring Authority will work with their assigned ERO/HCERO to issue a Notice of Rejection During Probation.

Department supervisors and managers are responsible for making sure staff comply with requirements and log non-compliance.