Strategies to get employees vaccinated

Education and incentives aren't the only approaches employers take.

The COVID-19 vaccines are finally available, and infection and death rates are falling.

But despite the good news, not all is rosy: vaccination rates are falling, and many Americans are still reluctant to get the vaccine. Health officials warn that without further assistance, herd immunity will not occur and COVID-19 infection will continue. Since the introduction of vaccines, employers have been seen as critical in encouraging employees to get vaccinated. Now, perhaps, their role is more important than ever.

“Anything employers can do to encourage their employees to get the vaccine - or at least consider the vaccine and do more research before immediately saying 'no' - is going to be incredible for not only the bottom line of the company be beneficial, but most importantly save countless lives, ”says employment expert Rob Wilson, president of the employment agency Employco USA.

So what can employers and business leaders do? Here are six strategies.

Provide training. Education is one of the most widely used vaccination strategies for employers. Education - like providing training or materials on merit or effectiveness - is the "clear number one choice" for employers when it comes to promoting vaccination and has grown steadily since the first quarter of the year, says Carol Morrison, senior research Analyst at the Institute for Enterprise Productivity (i4cp). "It makes sense because this is a relatively easy strategy for businesses to implement: it is inexpensive or free and it helps them address issues such as employee resistance to vaccines or lack of information or misinformation about vaccines," she said last month at HRE Health & Conference for Executives.

Providing facts about the benefits of vaccination - and promoting information from health officials, doctors, or other experts - is especially important for workers who may not be vaccinated. Rising Ground, a large nonprofit nonprofit in New York City, has been sending out weekly emails with credible information about the vaccine, citing medical experts and doctors, which she has also shared on social media and workshops. At a recent event, physicians from Columbia University's Emergency Medicine Department came to discuss the vaccines - and their benefits - with staff; HR plans to plan further such discussions.

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Be consistent in your messaging. As with other performance information, employees must be regularly reminded of vaccinations. An organization can't just send an email or two and expect its job to be done. Frequent communication is the key.

Elkay Manufacturing, for example, provides regular vaccination training to its employees, with the CEO discussing the vaccine's benefits in weekly video meetings and other corporate leaders talking frequently about the vaccine's effectiveness and safety, says Tonie Lyubelsky, senior director, Total Rewards at Elkay. The company also uses information from the CDC that Lyubelsky recommends to other employers. “The CDC has pretty good marketing materials for vaccination, and we have used many of their posters and flyers to post in the manufacturing facilities to visually remind employees of the importance of vaccination and also as a reminder and guide on where to find it Find out more, ”she says.

Use financial incentives. A survey by Blackhawk Network, a payment service provider, found that although about 40% of respondents are either unsure whether or not they plan to get the vaccine, certain incentives could increase vaccination rates. For just $ 100, a third of employees would agree to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a survey of 1,105 employees. Some employers are pursuing this strategy. Kroger, which employs nearly 500,000 workers, said it will offer a one-time payment of $ 100 to employees who receive the vaccine, and Petco will pay a one-time payment of US $ 75 to every employee who receives a COVID-19 vaccination -Dollar.

"It may sound strange at first, but the reality is that employers have long rewarded employees with incentives such as extra cash and free time to help them make healthy decisions," says Wilson. "Just as companies can offer cash incentives to employees who quit smoking or who exercise regularly, it is within the scope of the employer to offer a reward to employees who receive the COVID-19 vaccination."

Although some employers have hesitated to adopt this strategy due to legal complexities, the EEOC has just given employers the green light. As a result, more businesses may want to consider one-off payments, gift cards, or raffles to improve adoption.

Give the workers time off. Giving employees paid time off to get the vaccines - as well as time to recover from possible side effects - is a strategy many employers follow.

Aldi, Dollar General, Darden Restaurants, and Trader Joe's are offering salaries all four hours to get the two cans. Target offers hourly employees up to four hours of pay - two hours for each dose of vaccine - as well as free Lyft rides (up to $ 15 each way) to get to and from their appointments. Aon offers all of its 50,000 or so employees two days of paid time off for each injection.

“We recognize that receiving each injection and possible recovery takes time, and providing 16 hours of additional paid time off per injection means our colleagues don't have to worry about using their existing paid time off if they decide to get the COVID-19 vaccine, "says Lisa Stevens, Aon's Chief People Officer, adding that the PTO is also a way to support employees in the new phase of the pandemic.

Experts assume that even more employers will take paid time off for vaccinations. This is because President Biden called on employers to adopt this strategy in late April and urged companies to "give employees the time they need - with payment - to get vaccinated, and anytime - with payment - to recover from feeling pressured weather after the shot. ”He also announced a tax credit to help smaller businesses with this. For businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 500 employees, the tax credit covers up to $ 511 per day of paid vacation for up to 10 work days or 80 hours of work taken between April 1 and September 30. "Every employee should be given paid vacation to get a chance, and companies should know they can offer it without sacrificing bottom line," said Biden. "There's no excuse not to make it."

connected: Will Biden's support get more employers to offer PTO for shots?

Help workers find a vaccine. Information and education are one thing; Getting a vaccination appointment or knowing where to go is another. For this reason, some employers have set up vaccination clinics in their own offices, collaborated with external clinics, or helped their employees find vacancies for the vaccination.

For example, Rising Ground has partnered with two pharmacies to vaccinate employees in its two largest locations: Brooklyn, which is headquartered, and Yonkers, NY, which has multiple programs and some administrative functions. It has also partnered with a Bronx hospital that hosts many other Rising Ground programs. Human Resources also plans vaccines for employees to make it convenient and to help employees who have struggled to schedule vaccinations themselves. "We have a plan that is constantly evolving," said Roanica Paisley, senior vice president of human resources at Rising Ground. "If we only rest on one place or one idea, we leave people behind."

Use credible messengers. Consider reaching out to employees who received the COVID-19 vaccine as ambassadors about their experiences in your company. This strategy is pursued by Rising Ground, which sends photos of workers who are vaccinated via email, social media, and the company's intranet.

"We try to correct the misperceptions, the misinformation of our employees," says Paisley. “And we use employees who received the vaccine as credible messengers. We can't always change how people feel, but we can educate and sensitize them and Make decisions that are good for you. "

Kathryn Mayer is the performance editor of HRE and chair of the Health & Benefits Leadership Conference. She has covered accomplishments for nearly a decade, and her stories have won multiple awards including a Jesse H. Neal Award and honors from the American Society of Business Publication Editors and the National Federation of Press Women. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Denver. She can be reached at kmayer@lrp.com.

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