By Robert A. Francis
Like many Americans, I have gotten emotional watching videos of health care heroes receiving COVID-19 vaccinations.
After a long year, we can finally see a glimmer of light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. As our healthcare heroes have been out in front of the public health emergency, we are happy to see that these front line members of the workforce are afforded early access to the vaccine.
But, who should come next in line to be vaccinated?
If your answer is “essential workers,” I agree. It still begs the question… who precisely fits the description of essential? The term is wide-ranging and vague – perhaps intentionally so. If we are vaccinating a category of people before the general population, we need a clearer definition of who gets vaccinated now and who waits.
I hope that the lines of delineation are broad enough to include the public, residential and commercial building service workforce, who selflessly serve building tenants and residents throughout America daily.
Janitors, security guards, maintenance technicians and front-desk concierge should be a part of the next group to be vaccinated.
As the pandemic is changing our way of life, our team has shown that teamwork and resiliency can overcome even the most challenging of circumstances. Shutting down is not an option. We need to face the new normal bravely and comprehensively, mitigating risk where possible.
Are we an essential business? Of course, we are!
I am the CEO of Planned Companies – a fourth-generation company that provides services to building owners and managers in 11 different states. Each of our 4,300 employees – many on the frontlines in these buildings – have performed heroically throughout the pandemic.
Firsthand, I have witnessed the heroism of these individuals. Pushing them to the back of the vaccination line now would be unjust. Especially, as they have bravely risked their own health and safety to keep buildings across America going since the onset of the health emergency.
Massachusetts got it right, making a 55-year-old hospital janitorial supervisor the first person in the state to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Now we have to open up the vaccination lanes to these service employees in other work settings — sooner, rather than later. We simply cannot wait.
After all, not all superheroes wear capes. Some carry brooms, some secure buildings, others greet front-desk guests, and even others wear tool belts.
If we are asking these team members to risk exposure to COVID-19, we, as employers, must have their backs. After all, each employee is someone’s parent, spouse, son or daughter. Humanity needs to be the priority and guiding principle.
We encourage our elected leaders and federal regulators to include janitors, maintenance technicians, concierge and security associates as “essential workers.” This is the time to broaden, not limit, the definition.
Robert A. Francis is president and CEO of Planned Companies, a New Jersey-based company that provides janitorial, security, concierge/front desk and building maintenance throughout the country.
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