Employment at the Academy

We are committed to keeping our candidates for employment informed of changes to our COVID policies and procedures as we continue to evaluate employee, member, and candidate safety. This memo contains information on the current state of the American Academy of Dermatology’s (Academy) COVID 19 Practices and Protocols. As the situation evolves, the Academy will continue to rely on the guidance of leading health organizations and comply with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Please read the entirety of this document to ensure we have addressed any questions you may have about employment at the Academy. We look forward to helping answer any questions you may have. The key topics addressed in this memo:

• Virtual Hiring Process

• Hybrid Work Environment

• Academy’s Vaccination Policy

Virtual Hiring Process

• Virtual interviews: For the health, well-being and safety of our staff and candidates, all interviews are being held virtually at this time through GoToMeetings. We ask that candidates become familiar with this technology and have their video on during the interview. Requests for accommodations should be submitted to JRansaw@aad.org.

• Building tour: As candidates progress through the interview process, they will be invited to see our building through pictures and virtual tours. Once hired we will schedule a time for an in-person tour of our office space in Rosemont, IL or Washington, DC. We look forward to welcoming employees into our building with our planned return to the office in January.

Hybrid Work Environment

The Academy’s Hybrid Work Environment combines the flexibility of working from home and in-office. The goal of our hybrid workplace is to balance the needs of our employees with their ability to collaborate and be productive in a shared physical space combining aspects of remote working and in-office working. Staff work 2 days in the office each week and work with their supervisor on choosing a flexible schedule including compressed work weeks to help with balancing work-life harmony.

American Academy of Dermatology COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

Purpose

The American Academy of Dermatology is adopting this COVID-19 Vaccination policy to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees and their families; our members, attendees, and visitors; and the community at large. This policy will comply with all applicable laws and is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health authorities, as applicable. In support of our core values of Member Focus and Partnership, this policy aligns with the Academy’s COVID-19 Coronavirus Resource Center, which calls on our members and other health care professionals to model and promote evidence-based public health education and practices, including vaccinations, mask wearing, physical distancing, and hand washing.

Vaccination Expectations

All Academy employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 14, 2022.

In compliance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), requests for religious or medical exemption from this policy will be considered by the Academy.

All guests, including vendors, contractors, interview candidates and visitors, attending a meeting at either of the Academy’s offices shall provide proof of vaccination or will be required to wear a mask while on site and submit proof of a negative Covid-19 test.

Any current employees who are not fully vaccinated, have not started the vaccination process, or do not have an approved medical/religious accommodation by January 14, 2022, will be contacted by Human Resources to discuss future employment status.

Verification of Vaccinations Status

To help inform safety protocols and implement this policy, the Academy will be requiring that all employees upload a copy of their vaccine card. We ask that employees do not provide any medical information when contacting Human Resources with any questions about this process, unless submitting an applicable accommodation request. The Academy will keep information submitted to Human Resources regarding employees’ identifiable vaccination status and any other related health information confidential (except on a need-to-know basis to facilitate this policy). If employees choose to voluntarily share vaccination status with their supervisor or other staff, they should share only the information they are comfortable sharing and may always limit such information to “yes, I am fully vaccinated” or “no, I am not fully vaccinated.” Supervisors and members of the Staff Leadership Team should request that staff provide vaccination status information to Human Resources, in accordance with the above process. Information on uploading vaccine card will be provided in December.

Disciplinary action up to and including termination will be the consequence for any falsification of information or documentation provided to Human Resources.

Reasonable Accommodation

Employees requesting a medical or religious exemption from the vaccine requirement should contact Human Resources for an applicable Request for Accommodation form and submit the completed form to Human Resources to begin the interactive accommodation process as soon as possible. Any manager or supervisor who receives an accommodation request should immediately forward the information to Human Resources and inform the employee that Human Resources will handle the accommodation request. Accommodations will be granted where they facilitate performance of the employee’s essential job functions and do not cause the Academy undue hardship or pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others. Please direct any questions regarding this policy to Human Resources.

Employees with approved accommodation requests will be required to follow all non-vaccinated in-office safety protocols including wearing a mask and submitting weekly proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

To help educate staff on the COVID-19 vaccinations, we strongly encourage each employee reviews the following resources provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• Key Things to Know about COVID-19 Vaccines

• Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines

• Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination

Vaccine Time Off

All staff will be given 1 day (7.5 hours) of paid time to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. For staff who are already vaccinated and once instructed, upload their vaccine card by the due date, will be provided 1 additional Floating Holiday for 2022. This time is use-it-or-lose-it for calendar year 2022. If you submit your notice of resignation, you are not eligible to use floating holidays during your resignation period, nor will any unused days be paid. Employees may utilize up to two workdays of sick time immediately following each dose if they have side effects from the COVID-19 vaccination that prevent them from working.

If you have side effects after your COVID-19 vaccination and do not have any sick time available, please contact Human Resources because additional sick time may be granted.

COVID-19 Testing and In Office Safety Protocols (Employees on an approved accommodation)

If an employee is on an approved medical or religious accommodation, the employee will be required to take a COVID-19 test weekly. Human Resources will provide instructions on the process for testing and providing test result documentation each week. The Academy will reimburse employees for any costs not covered by employee’s insurance provider. If the employee receives a positive COVID-19 test or has been diagnosed with COVID-19 by a licensed healthcare provider, then weekly COVID-19 testing is NOT required for 90 days following the date of the positive test or diagnosis.

Employees with approved accommodation requests will be required to follow in-office safety protocols for un-vaccinated individuals. Human Resources will setup a time to meet with each employee to review these protocols in detail. Disciplinary action up to and including termination will be the consequence for not following these in-office safety protocols.

New Hires

All new employees are required to comply with the vaccination requirements outlined in this policy as soon as practicable and as a condition of employment. Potential candidates for employment will be notified of the requirements of this policy prior to the start of employment.

COVID-19 Positivity Exposure

The Academy has implemented a COVID-19 Positive and Exposure Plan to help lower the risk of exposure at the workplace.

In the above scenarios, Human Resources will follow up with the employee when to return to the worksite (Rosemont or DC Office).

Confidentiality and Privacy

All medical information collected from employees, including vaccination information, test results and any other information obtained as a result of testing, will be treated in accordance with applicable laws and policies on confidentiality and privacy.

Questions

Please direct any questions regarding this policy to the Human Resources department by contacting JRansaw@aad.org.