Official Says City Not Working on Order Mandating Restaurant Worker Vaccinations

Pasadena officials are not working on developing a program or policy that would force restaurant workers to be vaccinated, said a city spokesperson.

At the Pasadena City Council’s Aug. 16 meeting, Mayor Victor Gordo floated an opt-in program that would include presenting a placard to participating businesses indicating vaccinated staff members were following city guidelines.

The placard would not include a letter grade, nor would the program require restaurant workers to be vaccinated.

“Mayor Gordo made a suggestion at last Monday’s council meeting that a placard/logo be developed so restaurant and business establishments have a way to let the public know if their employees have been vaccinated or tested weekly,” said Public Information Officer Lisa Derderian.

“It’s opt-in and the businesses, not just restaurants, can take a pledge to follow it using the safest criteria possible to protect their employees and the public. City staff is currently working to develop the program which is not mandatory and not a grading system,” Derderian said.

The city’s Economic Development Department is working on the final details of the program, which will not go through the city’s Public Health Department as part of a health order.

The item was not on last Monday’s City Council’s agenda, so the board did not deliberate on the matter.

Gordo told the City Council he had received positive feedback from the business community.

However, the messaging was misinterpreted by some business owners and, and the city and Pasadena Now began getting letters from upset restaurateurs.

“To be clear, the city of Pasadena is putting me, and other business owners, in a position for potential mass exodus as staff walk out and/or stay and force my hand to terminate them, wherein they can file suit for wrongful termination,” wrote one Old Pasadena restaurateur.

“My other option is to go into more debt and provide testing every week for my staff, but at full cost to myself with no compensation or resources from the city,” the restaurateur said.

In July, City Manager Steve Mermell said that he has asked the Human Resources Department to develop a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for city employees.

Local guidance calls for the wearing of masks.

On Thursday, Pasadena’s new health order will go into effect mandating masks at all outdoor events with an attendance of 10,000 people or more.

The city health officer issued an updated health order, effective 12:01 a.m. Thursday, July 22, reinstating the use of masks for everyone in indoor public settings and businesses, regardless of vaccination status.

The controversy comes as both Pasadena and Los Angeles County have seen dramatic increases in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.