Will You Require Employees to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine?

Jackie Wiles, writing for Gartner:

As your organization considers its vaccination strategy, think carefully about what you plan to communicate to, and ask of, employees.

As COVID-19 vaccination distribution begins, organizations everywhere have critical decisions to make about their vaccination policies. A Gartner poll of more than 100 HR leaders shows that most will encourage, not mandate, vaccination — but that’s not the only issue at stake.

“Ultimately, your strategy must balance employee health and welfare, legal requirements and operational considerations,” says Joe Coyle, Director, Advisory, Gartner. “But like much of the pandemic response, your organization’s choices will telegraph your values and drive your brand as an employer, for better or worse.”

Should we require that employees be vaccinated?

In a December 9, 2020, Gartner poll, 60% of HR leaders said they would encourage employees to get vaccinated, but wouldn’t require it. Less than one-third of polled HR leaders said they believed it to be ethical to mandate a COVID-19 vaccine, and only 3% said they would require employees to show proof of vaccination to return to the workplace.

For the rest of this piece, including some excellent suggestions for practical considerations, click here.

In the last issue of this newsletter, Crisis Management Today, we included a piece written by Dr. Peter Sandman with details about exactly how you should talk about the vaccine.  You can read that article by clicking here.

If you still aren’t sure about how to discuss the subjects above, the communications specialists at Hennes Communications are available to assist.  Please give us a call at 216-321-7774.