Gov. Jay Inslee has issued an updated directive regarding policies that require state employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The updated directive reflects feedback and recommendations from state employees and labor partners to pursue options for offering incentives for COVID-19 boosters instead of making them a requirement.
The current requirement that new and current employees be fully vaccinated – meaning the individual has received all doses of the primary series – will remain in place.
The Office of Financial Management is currently in the process of bargaining with labor, a process which began when the governor issued the original directive on June 30. Based on the outcome of bargaining, more information will be forthcoming regarding the incentives and how they will be implemented, and OFM will engage in rulemaking to implement the Governor’s updated directive.
This directive applies to the governor’s executive and small cabinet agencies. The governor encourages other agencies such as higher education and agencies led by separately elected officials to consider implementing similar measures.
In issuing this directive, the governor is exercising his executive authority, not the emergency powers he used to issue other COVID-19-related emergency orders.