Many national employers are offering anywhere from two to four hours of paid time off for employees to get a COVID vaccination. (Photo: Shutterstock)
America is inching closer to the milestone of having 100 million people fully vaccinated against COVID, but we still have a long way to go. According to the latest data, 41% of the population has received at least one vaccine dose, and just 29% are fully vaccinated.
The Biden administration last week embarked on a PR blitz to urge more Americans to get vaccinated, including urging employers to do whatever they can to make it easier for employees to get vaccinated. President Biden also emphasized a tax credit available to small businesses that would provide up to $511 per vaccinated employee.
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"The case for offering paid time off for those who get vaccinated addresses a root cause of vaccine hesitancy for many who are not opposed to vaccination but worry about potential income loss," says Jeff Levin-Scherz, MD, population health leader, Willis Towers Watson. "No one should take home a smaller paycheck because they got a vaccine, and employees shouldn't have to choose between their job and their vaccination appointment."
Many national employers are offering anywhere from two to four hours of paid time off for employees to get a COVID vaccination, and some are even going so far as to offer time off for employees who are unable to work as a result of side effects. According to survey data from Willis Towers Watson, however, many employers are still on the fence about whether to offer incentives for employee vaccinations.
"Many of those at highest risk of being infected with coronavirus at work are hourly workers, who could potentially suffer most from unexpected income loss," Levin-Scherz said. "Paid time off for vaccination also sends a powerful signal to managers that they should encourage those they supervise to take off the time necessary to be immunized."
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Emily Payne
Emily Payne is director, content analytics for ALM's Business & Finance Markets and former managing editor for BenefitsPRO. A Wisconsin native, she has spent the past decade writing and editing for various athletic and fitness publications. She holds an English degree and Business certificate from the University of Wisconsin.
