Employees want to be rewarded by their employers to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Fifty-seven percent of employees say they would like money, paid time off, gift cards and other incentives to encourage vaccinations, according to the latest workplace survey by Eagle Hill Consulting. While 32% of Americans say they won’t get vaccinated, over half of employees think
Currently, 10% of the U.S. population has been vaccinated and President Biden has promised enough doses to vaccinate all adults by the end of May. But with a significant portion of the workforce refusing inoculations, employers must tread lightly when it comes to workplace safety plans.
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“The COVID-19 vaccine is slowly starting to reach some segments of the workforce, but the road ahead remains complicated for employers,” says Melissa Jezoir, CEO of Eagle Hill Consulting. “Employers have to find the balance between ensuring a safe environment while not imposing requirements that will generate employee anxiety or animosity.”
A growing list of employers including Trader Joe’s, Target and Dollar General are
“Over the last several years, employee wellness programs have incentivized employees and punished those who don’t participate,” he says. “That could be considered discriminatory when it comes to vaccines. Employers are stuck between a rock and a hard place trying to figure out how they do this lawfully.”
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As organizations contemplate the emotional and technical hurdles around requiring vaccines, employees are open to other safety protocols, like mask wearing,
Employees are also content to delay returning to work entirely: 42% of employees think organizations should hold off on reopening until vaccines are widely available and the majority of the population is vaccinated.
Whatever strategy an employer chooses, it’s critical they
“Employers must engage with employees at a deep level to understand their views and align their decisions with employee preferences,” she says. “There will not be a one-size fits all approach as they try to return to some sense of normalcy for employees.”