Employees Hesitant to Return to Work Before Receiving Vaccinations

As the U.S. vaccination rollout continues, many senior citizens, essential workers, and those with chronic health conditions have received their vaccines. However, people lower on the priority list are still waiting their turn and 42% of surveyed employees believe workplaces should hold off on reopening until more people have been vaccinated, according to a new survey from Eagle Hill Consulting.

About one-quarter (26%) of the surveyed workers say employees should be required to take a COVID-19 test before entering the workplace, and 37% say testing should be encouraged.

The survey also found:

• 57% of respondents believe employers should offer vaccine incentives to employees
• 52% agree that employers should require vaccines, up from 49% in a December 2020 survey
• 45% say that employers should cover the costs for any employer-mandated tests, 29% say the federal government should bear the costs, 15% say insurance providers should pay, 10% say state/local government should cover the costs, and 2% believe employees should pay
• 89% concur that employers should require or encourage social distancing, up from 85% in the December survey.
• 87% agree employers should require or encourage mask use, up from 85% in December
• 81% say employers should encourage or require temperature checks, up from 78%
• 71% agree that employers should encourage or require personal protective equipment at work, up from 64%
• 69% support employers requiring or encouraging testing, down from 70%.

“The COVID-19 vaccine is slowly starting to reach some segments of the workforce, but the road ahead remains complicated for employers—from when to bring employees back to how to ensure safety,” said Melissa Jezior, Eagle Hill Consulting president and CEO. “Employers have to find the balance between ensuring a safe environment while not imposing requirements that will generate employee anxiety or animosity.”