Employers moving ahead with vaccine and mask mandates, survey finds
By the fourth quarter of 2021, more than half of employers could have one or more vaccine mandate requirements in the workplace.
“The Delta variant has made employers take new actions to keep their workers — and workplaces — safe and healthy,” said Jeff Levin-Scherz, M.D., population health leader for Willis Towers Watson. “We expect even more employers to institute vaccine mandates in the wake of FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine. This is not an easy situation for employers to navigate. For instance, new policies such as tracking workers’ vaccinations can improve safety but also bring additional administrative requirements. At the same time, employers will continue efforts to encourage vaccination and communicate regularly with employees.”
Related: 5 key considerations when implementing mandatory vaccination policies
Willis Towers Watson recently surveyed employers about their vaccination and office reopening policies. It found that by the fourth quarter of 2021, more than half of employers could have one or more vaccine mandate requirements in the workplace. These range from requiring vaccination for employees to access common areas such as cafeterias to requiring vaccination for a subset of employees to requiring vaccination for all employees. This is a dramatic increase from the current 21%. Specifically, nearly one-third of employers are planning or considering making vaccination a requirement to gain access to the workplace, and almost a quarter are planning or considering vaccination as a condition of employment for all employees.
Additionally, the number of employers who will track whether employees have completed their vaccination is increasing. Nearly six in 10 currently track their workers’ vaccination status, and another 19% are planning or considering doing so later this year. A majority (62%) of those require proof of vaccination, while 36% rely on employees to self-report.
Nearly two in 10 organizations offer financial incentives for getting vaccinated, with another 14% planning or considering doing so. Cash payments from $100 to $199 are the most common financial incentive. Only 2% of employers currently offer a discount to vaccinated employees or impose a premium surcharge on unvaccinated employees. Another 18% are considering one or both approaches. Most employers at this point are not planning or considering either of these financial tactics.
The survey identified several actions companies are taking or considering as they rethink their reopening plans:
- Mask mandates. Eight in 10 respondents require employees to wear masks indoors at any location. Another 13% are planning or considering doing so.
- Tracing. Three-fourths of employers use workplace exposure tracing to alert employees to a potential exposure. Another 8% are planning or considering doing so.
- Return to normal. Nearly four in 10 employers now expect their organizations won’t reach a new normal in terms of returning to the workplace and ending pandemic-related policies and programs until the second quarter of 2022. About a quarter expect a return to the new normal in the first quarter of next year.
“We have reached a point in the pandemic where employers that have worked hard to make it easy for employees to get vaccinated are also considering approaches to make it more difficult for employees to remain unvaccinated,” Levin-Scherz said. “The one certainty right now is that employers will continue to adjust their plans through the remainder of 2021. While some employers will institute more frequent testing, workplace restrictions on the unvaccinated and vaccination mandates, all will have one common goal in mind — to keep their workforce healthy and productive by minimizing the risk of spreading COVID-19 in the workplace.”
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