Between the news that Fortune 500 companies are requiring unvaccinated employees to contribute an extra $200 towards insurance premiums and the federal mandate that all workers and contractors be vaccinated, business owners are left wondering, do I need a vaccine policy? Here’s a few things we think you should consider before you proceed:
Do you operate in an industry where vaccination is expected? From hospitality and healthcare to retail, most customer facing industries are finding that there is a certain level of expectation that workers are vaccinated in order to “protect” guests. Absence of a vaccination policy may even deter current customers from patronizing your business, something you may not be able to afford if you’re already seeing a downturn in business.
Will you lose current employees? As you consider implementation of a policy that requires vaccination already you may be envisioning those folks on your staff whom you lack confidence have or will become vaccinated. How valued are these employees and are you willing and able to be steadfast about your policy if it means losing a key player?
Will you be able to find new employees? With 40% of workers indicating that they are looking for a new job, you’d think it would be easy to find replacement players but if you begin to layer in mandates about vaccination policies, that may negatively impact the size of your applicant pool. Does your business currently employ the kind of workers that are likely to be anti-vaxxers?