American Workers Split on Vaccine Mandates

Approximately half of U.S. workers favor vaccine requirements at their workplaces, according to a new poll from The Associated Press (AP)-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

More remote workers (59%) support the vaccine requirements compared to employees working in-person (47%). About one-quarter of workers (26%), both remote and in-person employees, oppose workplace COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The numbers are similar for workplace mask mandates, with 59% of remote workers favoring them and 50% of in-person workers in favor of mandatory masks.

The poll, which surveyed more than 1,700 U. S. workers from August 12-16, also showed division among racial lines. It found:

• 73% of Black workers and 59% of Hispanic workers (who are more likely than white workers to have frontline jobs) support workplace mask mandates, compared with 42% of white workers
• 53% of Black workers and Hispanic workers support COVID-19 vaccine mandates at their workplaces, compared to 44% of white workers.

AP reports that most vaccine requirements are coming from private companies with employees who have been able to work from home during the pandemic. These companies have workforces that are already largely vaccinated and consider the requirement a key step toward eventually reopening offices.

In contrast, companies that rely on hourly service workers have been less likely to imposed vaccine mandates due to concerns about losing staff at a time of acute labor shortages and turnover.