As the vaccination process begins, there are a lot of issues to consider. And the question as to what level of involvement employers should be taking is one of the hardest to navigate.
In a survey of 2,000 adults in the U.S in November, Sykes, a solutions provider, asked if employers should require non-remote employees to take the vaccine and 54% said yes.
Breaking this out by age groups, those 55 and older said yes more than their younger counterparts. Almost 60% of baby boomers are in favor of workplace requirements. That number falls to 57% for Gen Z (ages 18–24). For those ages 45-54, that number is 53%. And the youngest, ages 23-35 reports the lowest number at 49%.
In alignment with these results, a substantial majority, 63% plan on getting a vaccine as soon as they are able with only 37% not wanting to get the vaccine. Interestingly, more men, 73% will opt for the vaccine compared to 56% of the women.
For those who want to get the vaccine, when asked who they would prefer to administer the vaccine, the majority (57%) will go to their primary care physician or nurse. Twenty-three percent will to the health department and 13% will go to their local pharmacy. Only 3% said they will take the shot at their workplace.
For those that won’t be getting the vaccine, the reasons vary:
- I worry about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine - - 38%
- I worry about the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine -- 26%
- I worry about the cost -- 14%
- I have underlying health issues -- 12%
When asked about who should pay for people to receive the vaccine, the majority chose the U.S. government ( 58%) with the insurance providers coming in next at 30% and employers that require it at 9%.
To read the full study click here.
