HR teams across the country are facing a new set of challenges around vaccine mandates, as a growing number of employees refuse to get innoculated.
Many employers say they plan to encourage employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine; however, a significant number of workers say they don’t plan to get vaccinated, according to new research from the Society for Human Resource Management. Approximately 28% of employees say they won’t get vaccinated, while the majority of employees — 60% — say they will probably or definitely get the vaccine.
While putting together a return to work plan, employers will need to consider that a large portion of their workforce will come back to the office unvaccinated.
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“The SHRM research shows a stark divide in perceptions around the vaccine. There’s a potential financial firestorm impacting employers who need a vaccinated workforce,” says Theresa Adams, senior knowledge adviser at SHRM. “It was surprising to see the number of employees who indicated they will not get a vaccine, even at the risk of losing their job.”
President Biden has said that there will be enough vaccines for every adult in the U.S. by the end of May. Yet, 60% percent of organizations say they will not require the vaccine for employees, according to the SHRM research. Thirty-five percent are unsure whether they will require the vaccine for employees. However, 74% of the employers that are unsure or not planning to require vaccines for their employees will still encourage their employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
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Only 33% of employees believe that organizations should make the vaccine mandatory for returning to a physical work environment. However, the pandemic has proven that the work from home model can be just as effective as working in an office setting. Some employees — 45% — say they would accept a 5% reduction in salary if it meant they could work from home permanently.
Some employers including Twitter, Shopify and Facebook have already said they will allow employees to work from home indefinitely.
“Employers are going to have to decide what strategy is going to work best within their organization in terms of mandating the vaccine, ensuring a safe environment and whether or not to continue to allow teleworking or more of a hybrid situation,” Adams says. “Maintaining an open, honest and transparent communication policy is more crucial than ever. HR is going to have a big role in educating the workforce about the vaccine.”
