Should You Require Your Workers To Get

Now that the COVID-19 vaccine is becoming more available, employers need to start thinking about whether they will require their workers to get it or not. Certain project types, like hospitals or medical clinics, may require that workers get vaccinated. But overall, vaccination is voluntary.

First of all, it’s important to know that employers are within their rights to require employees to get vaccinated. As long as the employer believes that vaccination is necessary to ensure that workers don’t pose a threat to the health and safety of themselves or others, an employer can require employees to get vaccinated or lose their jobs.

The science says that the more people that are vaccinated, the less chance there is that the virus will spread. Some workers, however, have concerns about the safety of the vaccinations, as well as the risk of potential side effects.

A recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management of employees and Human Resource managers found that only 60% of respondents were planning on getting the vaccine. Of the employers that responded, 60% said they would require the vaccine while 35% were unsure.

One way to encourage your employees to get vaccinated is to offer an incentive. This could take the form of a cash payment, gift card, or time off to get vaccinated and deal with side effects. The problem with offering incentives is that employers have to ensure that they aren’t discriminating against those who choose not to get a vaccine and those with disabilities. The EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) is currently working on guidance for employers on how to implement an incentive program without implicating ADA concerns.

The truth is that each employer will have to decide whether to require their workers to get vaccinated. The risk of potential exposure, the cost of downtime for sick employees, and the employers’ own beliefs about the efficacy of the vaccines, will all play a role in these decisions.