How Enterprises Are Encouraging Employees to Get COVID-19 Vaccinations

To get back to a physical working environment, businesses are taking steps to encourage their employees to get vaccinated. This trend is increasing in industries that need an on-site workforce, such as manufacturing, hospitality and food service.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations allow employers to mandate vaccines, but employers are reluctant to enforce the mandate because of possible legal consequences or cultural backlash. So, companies, including Ford Motor Company and Kellogg’s, are instead taking a different approach: They’re encouraging voluntary vaccination.

Launching Educational Campaigns

Since only 55% of the U.S. population has received at least one vaccine dose, businesses have also begun to partner with medical experts to educate their employees about the vaccine’s benefits, safety and efficacy, and vital importance.

Tying the Vaccine to Wellness Programs, Offering Incentives

Like they do with other vaccinations, such as the annual flu shot, employers are considering including the COVID-19 vaccine in their existing wellness programs or providing vaccination incentives.

Since the COVID-19 vaccine can have side effects, employers would have to ensure employee safety against all risks at an additional cost to the company.

Vaccination Drives for Employees

Leading companies are considering making bulk purchases of the COVID-19 vaccine before distributing it through employee vaccination drives. This degree of employer support is expected to be a key differentiator to attract and retain talent while increasing the rate of employee vaccination.

Companies are also setting up infrastructure to strengthen their vaccination supply chain for the drives. Ford, for example, has ordered a dozen ultra-cold freezers to store and distribute vaccines for its employees.

Tools and Platforms to Help Employers Manage Vaccination

Companies may start using vaccine management apps, like the one launched by VaxAtlas, to help employers manage the entire vaccination process. The app sends employees alerts and reminders for their second vaccine doses and provides QR-coded passes as proof of vaccination.

It can be challenging to determine the right time and approach for onboarding employees and strategizing employee vaccination programs. Employers can take advantage of digital tools such as Return Navigator, Health Advocate’s return-to-work solution.

In Conclusion …

For industries that require on-site employees, work-from-home routines are not feasible. Encouraging employees to get vaccinated will be a key goal for enterprises this year so the workforce can return to the office.