US employer Lost patience with unvaccinated workers.
For months, most employers have relied on promotional campaigns, bonuses and other incentives to encourage their employees to gain COVID-19 injectionNow, more and more people are making rules to make it more onerous for employees to refuse, from direct mandatory requirements to regular testing for those who have not been vaccinated.
Increasingly tough employers include the federal government, the governments of California and New York, the tech giants Google and Facebook, the Walt Disney Company and the NFL. Some hospitals, universities, restaurants, bars and other entertainment venues have also begun to require vaccinations.
But the new measures are unlikely to affect many of the millions of unvaccinated Americans.
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Many companies that need to be vaccinated are mostly office workers who have basically been vaccinated and are unwilling to work with those who have not been vaccinated.
In contrast, large companies that rely on low-income blue-collar workers — food manufacturers, warehouses, supermarkets, and other chains — evade authorization for fear of driving away employees and exacerbating the labor shortages these companies face.
For example, Tyson Foods stated that since February, after the meat and poultry processor has held more than 100 vaccinations, about half of its US employees (56,000 employees) have been vaccinated. But the company said that it has no plans to force the request to reach the other half.
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Wal-Mart and Amazon, the country’s two largest private employers, also refused to require their hourly workers to be vaccinated, continuing to rely on strategies such as bonuses and on-site vaccination. But in a potentially strong signal, Wal-Mart said that employees at its headquarters will be required to be vaccinated by October 4.
The biggest precedent to date comes from the federal government, the largest employer in the United States. President Joe Biden announced last week that all federal employees and contractors must be vaccinated or undergo weekly tests and lose their privileges such as official travel.
The federal government has indicated that it will pay for the weekly test. As for other employers, insurance may pay for such testing in certain workplaces, but it will not pay for other workplaces.
Brian Kropp, research director of human resources practice at consulting firm Gartner, said that Biden’s decision may encourage other employers by showing that they will implement similar rules on a solid legal basis.
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But Kropp said that some companies face complex considerations that go beyond legality, including strong resistance to vaccines in many states where they operate.
Kropp added that retailers like Wal-Mart may find it difficult to justify the vaccine requirements for their employees while keeping shoppers unvaccinated. Most shops avoid requesting vaccinations from customers to avoid alienating customers, and it is also difficult to verify the identity of customers.
In the Gartner survey, less than 10% of employers stated that they intend to require all employees to be vaccinated.
However, a shift is taking place due to frustration with stagnant vaccination rates and concerns about the spread of the more contagious delta variant. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of Monday, 69.9% of American adults have received at least one injection, which is far below the 70% goal set by Biden before July 4.
Union Square Hospitality Group, a New York City restaurant and bar founded by Danny Meyer, now requires employees and customers to be vaccinated by September 7.
The founder, Ben Bleiman, said that the San Francisco Barkeepers Union, which is composed of about 300 bars, made a similar decision after a meeting. At the meeting, “the highlight was the anger and rejection of vaccination. Depressed”.
Although some companies worry that mandatory vaccine requirements will drive out workers, the pandemic itself is also causing absenteeism. Brightman said his bartender was vaccinated and tested positive and could not find a substitute. He recently had to close the bar for one night.
Some employers have concluded that requiring vaccinations is easier than trying to create different masks and social distancing rules for the few unvaccinated employees.
BlackRock, a global investment management company, currently only allows vaccinated employees to enter its U.S. office, and stated that people will be free to not wear masks as permitted by local health guidelines, and can sit together and gather without restrictions. . The company said that 85% of its US employees have been vaccinated or are being vaccinated.
Matthew Putman, chief executive of Nanotronics, a New York-based high-tech manufacturing center, said he was distressed by his decision to compulsorily vaccinate more than 100 employees. It turns out that almost everyone has been vaccinated, although he is afraid of the prospect of having to fire any opponents.
“I hate this idea. But if it must happen, it must happen,” Putman said. “I slept a lot for this, but I didn’t sleep as much because I was afraid of infection.”
Other authorizations can more clearly test the possibility of strong opposition from employees.
For example, hospitals and nursing home chains are increasingly in need of vaccines. So far, such authorization has survived legal challenges. More than 150 employees in the Houston hospital system who refused to receive COVID-19 injections were fired or resigned after the judge dismissed an employee lawsuit against the request.
Atria Senior Living operates more than 200 senior living communities across the country and was one of the first companies to compulsorily vaccinate its employees in January.
efficient. Chief Executive Officer and Chairman John Moore said that nearly 99% of Atria’s 10,000 employees were vaccinated, and only a small percentage of them exceeded the requirements and quit.
“Our residents should live in a vaccinated environment. Our employees should work in a vaccinated environment,” Moore said.
© 2021 Canadian Press
