The Majority of the U.S. Workforce is found in Favor of Employer Vaccine Work Requirements
National Safety Council research reveals more workers are ready to create a much safer work environment.
- By Shereen Hashem
- Oct 05, 2021
The National Safety Council released a report conducted as part of its SAFER initiative—a comprehensive effort aimed at helping employers prioritize workplace safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The report includes data from surveys and interviews conducted between June and August 2021, with responses representative of 3000 U.S.-based employers and 3,785 individuals, according to a press release.
Findings from a safer report show that employer vaccine requirements increased worker vaccination rates by 35 percent. Therefore, there may be a level of immunity achieved if employers unanimously apply vaccine requirements to the entire workplace. The report shows the vaccine requirements are well-received by a majority of the U.S. workforce and by those who prefer to enter businesses where workers are vaccinated.
“With so much attention on COVID-19 booster shots, let’s not lose sight of a key fact: 46% of the U.S. population has yet to achieve full vaccination status — which continues to compromise our collective safety,” said Lorraine Martin, NSC president and CEO. “The verdict is in: employer vaccine requirements work. NSC is focused on empowering businesses of all sizes to implement COVID-19 vaccination requirements in a way that supports vaccine equity, reduces health disparities and, ultimately, advances the nation’s progress on living safely with this virus.”
The highly transmissible Delta variant, which represents more than 99 percent of cases in America, further emphasizes the importance of a full vaccination status. The surveys fielded by the NSC, however, found that 13-15 percent of Americans who have received one shot of a two-dose vaccine don’t plan to pursue a second dose and become fully vaccinated. Of those who are already fully vaccinated, 15 percent are unsure about or do not plan to receive a booster shot when they are able to do so.
Here are key findings from the report and recommended actions for employers for long-term COVID-19 safety practices. These recommendations include:
1. Implement vaccination requirements for in-person work and require frequent, regular PCR testing of individuals who can’t or won’t get vaccinated.
2. Reduce barriers to access and increase vaccine uptake through paid time off, transportation to vaccination sites or on-site vaccination at workplaces, multilingual vaccine information and transparent communication about vaccine guidance.
3. Encourage employee discussion around COVID-19 issues, such as boosters, variants and workplace safety guidelines.
4. Reduce in-person work as able to minimize exposure opportunities.
About the Author
Shereen Hashem is the Associate Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety magazine.