“Are we there yet?”
As if we’ve been on a long road trip, many of us are asking the same question. Many employers are wondering about the best practices and how to move forward. We want to make smart decisions to get back to business in the new normal.
Business owners share common values. We’re committed to creating a healthy, fair, and safe workplace. Several considerations come to mind as we strive to be fair for everyone involved.
What’s Your Current Policy?
Many businesses are seeking to ensure health and safety for workers returning to the workplace. The big question is whether to require vaccinations.
Generally, there are legal precedents that indicate employers may require employees to get a COVID-19 vaccination. There are some exceptions, however, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) indicates that employers may issue a mandatory vaccination policy.
However, it is important to consider legal, psychological, and religious consequences.
Legally, there are several exceptions to the rule.
Under state law, employers must consider exceptions for individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs. We must also consider exceptions for individuals with a disability that prevent them from getting a COVID-19 vaccination.
Additionally, specific professionals cannot be required to get a vaccine. These include licensed health care providers, employees of health care facilities and clinical laboratories, firefighters, law enforcement officers, and corrections officers.
Further, employers struggle with the emotional consequences of mandatory policies.
What’s The Advantage of Incentives?
To promote engagement, employers are seeking ways to encourage participation rather than mandate vaccination. This has given rise to several initiatives that focus on incentives for getting vaccinated.
What kind of incentives?
The most popular incentives are: pay for time spent getting vaccinated, paid bonuses, and rewards. Some of the companies that are successfully using incentives include Trader Joes’, Kroger, and Target.
Employees at Trader Joe’s get an extra 2 hours of pay for each vaccination dose. Employees at Kroger receive a $100 bonus for providing proof of their COVID vaccination. Target employees get paid for vaccination time, plus receive a $15 credit to Lyft for travel to the vaccination location.
Incentives have a twofold benefit. First, they encourage participation by rewarding initiative. Second, they promote respect by rewarding intrinsic motivation.
Now is a critical time to consider how to develop policies that foster engagement and inclusion.
Many employers are turning to their employees for the most relevant solutions. If you’re looking for input, get your employees involved in designing a solution.
Your employees can offer insights to help:
- Build incentives that match their top priorities
- Reward healthy behaviors regarding vaccination
- Foster workplace initiatives for health and well-being
As you encourage input, make time to listen closely. Your best ideas are likely to come from the people who will be most affected by the policies.
Planning For The Best Outcomes
As in many policy decisions, employers are weighing potential rewards with potential downsides. While having every employee vaccinated is good for building trust, encouraging peace of mind, and promoting in-person comfort—mandatory policies often have unintended consequences.
Employees may feel controlled, disrespected, or manipulated. They may feel that their rights have been violated. In a Harris Poll, 69% of U.S. employees preferred vaccination programs that were linked to incentives.
In addition to current employees, employers must also evaluate their policies for background checks. If you are considering your best choices, think about how to communicate your policies to current and future employees. Are you able to provide onsite vaccinations? Do you require employees to obtain COVID-19 vaccinations on their own? How do you intend to communicate, monitor, and maintain health policies?
Let’s Get On With The New Normal
In a New York Times interview, Dolly Parton shared her thoughts about getting vaccinated and getting back to work. Ms. Parton contributed 1 million dollars to the early development of the Moderna Vaccine.
Remarkably, she got a dose of the very vaccine she helped fund. The interview quotes her encouraging people to get vaccinated, “I think we all want to get back to normal—whatever that is — and that would be a great shot in the arm.”
