Every day, we see evidence of the covid vaccine’s efficacy. It greatly reduced the number and severity of cases. However, pockets still exist where vaccine rates are low -- Detroit among them. 

As a business owner, doing everything you can to encourage vaccination for your employees helps the community. If employees contract covid, it may spread to fellow workers, family members, and customers. The health concerns of people involved in your business as well as the financial health of your business make this vaccine essential.

Further, the Delta virus mostly affects young people, people over 50, people who are unvaccinated, and people who have only had one dose. To ensure this variant doesn’t wreak havoc on society, we must do all we can to tamp it down with vaccinations.

Despite its importance, experts do not recommend making vaccinations mandatory. While it is often legal to make vaccinations mandatory, it’s not advisable. Some groups may have greater barriers to getting vaccines, so requirements may negatively impact those demographics. Exceptions also apply to any mandatory vaccinations: employees with disabilities or certain religious beliefs can claim exemption. And if employers require vaccines and an employee has a negative reaction, that might lead to lawsuits. 

Mandating the vaccine has too many barriers for practicality, but encouraging it is a great solution. Here are some ideas for encouraging vaccinations in your business:

Paid Time Off

This is a great way to encourage vaccination while keeping employees happy -- they’ll likely appreciate this extra incentive. Even better, President Biden has announced a tax credit that provides for full payment of PTO for businesses with fewer than 500 employees.

Accommodations for Appointments

If any of your employees hesitate about getting the vaccine because of their work schedule, make sure that even if you can’t provide PTO, your employees feel comfortable asking for the time off that they need for the shot and recovery.

Lead By Example

Talk about your experience with the vaccine positively. Show your outward support for vaccination. We know influence from peers has great power, so your example may lead to someone else’s decision to get vaccinated.

We need broad-scale vaccination to get back to normal life. It will have benefits socially, mentally, and economically. For more information on vaccines and encouraging them at work, click here.