Plenty of chaos continues to fly surrounding vaccine mandates for workers throughout the U.S. Unions have shown themselves to be divided over their stance while bargaining on the issue with some unions pushing back at Biden following their support of him in the 2020 election. In short, there’s no coherent picture as of yet. That’s the case even in California, a state quick to roll out mandates, although the state hasn’t achieved across-the-board union cooperation (yes for health worker unions, no for teachers unions) on requiring the jab.
Workplaces throughout the U.S. will continue to feel out whether compulsory vaccination will work more good than possible harm (which would be a possible employee exodus). On that note, Genesis HealthCare took the plunge of requiring universal vaccination of all its nursing home staffers and vendors. And Delta Air Lines just became the first major U.S. employer to penalize workers who won’t get vaccinated with a $200 monthly surcharge.
The one certainty out there is that there is no overall certainty on worker vaccine mandates yet, so the issue remains confusing in the near future. Yet with the newly breaking full FDA approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, one should stay tuned for more developments, including increased workplace mandates, even as the issue of hazard pay is actively being wagered by unions around the country amid the circulating delta variant.
This month, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce held a targeted event on COVID Vaccine Distribution and the U.S. Workforce, during which the CEOs of multiple leading companies discussed how to best vanquish vaccine hesitancy. Here are their perspectives:
– United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby: As head honcho of the first U.S.-based airline to require employee vaccination (with a religious/medical exemption), Kirby stressed the importance of valuing employee input, although he expressed surprise at how little pushback his vaccine mandate received. Only about 5% of his employees expressed anger at the vaccination requirement; and about 60% of employees revealed overwhelming positivity over the mandate. Ultimately, Kirby expressed hope over what he witnessed: a silent majority who secretly wanted the mandate to be put into place. Kirby views this finding as evidence of the “”unspoken need of many in the workforce,”” and he believes that more companies should consider implementing mandates after seeing United step up to the plate.
– Kaddas Enterprises CEO Natalie Kaddas: The top executive of this essential company (which helps to prevent power outages around the U.S.) made it a top priority to help her employees feel safe, and Kaddas recognized that employees worried about side effects and whether they could take time off from work. The company implemented a positively received rule: vaccinated employees will receive two paid weeks off if they develop a breakthrough case.
– EcoDaisy CEO Priscilla Johnson: As the leader of a company with a largely remote workforce, Johnson faced a different type of challenge while encouraging her employees to get vaccinated. Still, she stressed how leadership can provide personal testimonies from those who have been vaccinated. That can make all the difference to help accelerate economic recovery, which is in the best interest of companies and individuals alike.
