How to handle vaccine hesitancy at work

With the COVID vaccine rollout now underway, employers are one step closer to their business operations resuming.

As mass vaccination will take time, employers are likely to find that some staff will be eager to get the vaccine as soon as possible. Others may choose to wait and see while some may decide not to take a vaccine at all.

So how can employers and HR handle vaccine hesitancy in the workplace?

What approach should employers take towards the vaccine with their employees?

The government hasn’t made the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for any individual or section of society. Despite this, some industry sector businesses may require staff to have the vaccine for safety reasons. This may apply to operators in the care sector, where maintaining social distancing and adhering to other safety measures while looking after vulnerable individuals is not possible.

But, in workplaces such as offices or retail, it may be more challenging to try and put such a requirement in place. This is due to the availability of alternative risk mitigation options like having employees work from home. To this end, focus on advising staff about the benefits of taking the vaccine instead of making it mandatory.

How can employers encourage their employees to have the vaccine?

The most appropriate course of action for employers appears to be to encourage staff to have the vaccine. Awareness campaigns that focus on the benefits of inoculation are helpful here. Communicate to staff through a policy that while they won’t be forced to take a vaccine, there are benefits for themselves and colleagues in doing so.

You may need external trainers and e-learning programmes to explain further why the vaccines are safe and effective. You could also encourage employees to make an informed decision about having the vaccine. Reading information from official sources, alongside a cautionary note to verify the source of their reading matter due to the existence of uncertified information, will help.

How to manage employees who are hesitant about getting the vaccine?

Remember that there could be many reasons why employees don’t want to take the vaccine. For example, they may have been advised not to due to a pre-existing medical condition or due to their religious beliefs.

If employees are subjected to a detriment as a result of a protected characteristic under employment equality law, your business may face a costly discrimination claim.

In these circumstances, it’s essential to listen to employees’ concerns and direct them to appropriate information that specifically addresses their vaccine hesitancy.

Managing the vaccine rollout in your business

Our new online tool VaccTrak will help you keep track of who’s had the COVID-19 vaccine in your business.

VaccTrak allows you to:

• Update your employee profiles to easily record who’s had the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Download regular reports to see exactly who’s been vaccinated, so you can keep your people safe during the vaccine roll-out.
• Download professional letter templates to encourage your staff to have the vaccine.
• Access our exclusive vaccine awareness course. Share it with your staff to educate them on the vaccine and answer any complex questions.

Need our help?

If you’re a Peninsula client, you can call our 24/7 helpline for advice on how to handle the COVID vaccine in your business.

If you’re not a client, you can still claim a free advice call with one of our experts today.

To speak to an expert now, call 1800 719 215.