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 employers should require workers to get the vaccine before they reopen the office.
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.
Read more: Employees would rather lose their job than get a COVID-19 vaccine
“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 offering employees cash and PTO to get vaccinated, but 43% of employers are uncertain about this tactic, according to a survey by law firm Fisher Phillips. Employers should be cautious when implementing these programs, says Robin Samuel, a partner at Baker & McKenzie law firm.
“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.”
Read more: These companies are paying their employees to get vaccinated
As organizations contemplate the emotional and technical hurdles around requiring vaccines, employees are open to other safety protocols, like mask wearing, frequent COVID testing and social distancing measures. A quarter believe they should be tested daily before entering the workplace and 69% would like to be tested frequently, the Eagle Hill survey found.
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 communicate clearly with their workforce and keep the safety of their employees a top priority, Jezoir says.
“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.”
