Survey: Will employees be required to get the COVID-19 vaccination? – World Economic Forum

Almost nine in every 10 companies will require or encourage their employees to get a COVID-19 vaccination or face consequences, according to a new report.

All employees are required to be vaccinated by 40% of companies surveyed in a report from Arizona State University (ASU), the World Economic Forum and the Rockefeller Foundation. Employees will be encouraged but not required by 32% and 16% will require some, but not all, employees to have the jab.

While vaccination programmes are well underway in many of the worlds wealthiest countries, other regions lag far behind, with India and Latin America in the crosshairs. The ASU report assessed responses from 24 industry sectors and 1,339 facilities at 1,168 companies. Most came from companies in the US and UK, which are among the most advanced in terms of vaccination plans.

88% of employers will require of encourage vaccinations from employees.

Image: Arizona State University

People who choose not to comply with their companys policies are likely to face consequences, including having their work responsibilities changed, disciplinary action or being excluded from the physical work environment, the data showed.

The first global pandemic in more than 100 years, COVID-19 has spread throughout the world at an unprecedented speed. At the time of writing, 4.5 million cases have been confirmed and more than 300,000 people have died due to the virus.

As countries seek to recover, some of the more long-term economic, business, environmental, societal and technological challenges and opportunities are just beginning to become visible.

To help all stakeholders communities, governments, businesses and individuals understand the emerging risks and follow-on effects generated by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Marsh and McLennan and Zurich Insurance Group, has launched its COVID-19 Risks Outlook: A Preliminary Mapping and its Implications - a companion for decision-makers, building on the Forums annual Global Risks Report.

Companies are invited to join the Forums work to help manage the identified emerging risks of COVID-19 across industries to shape a better future. Read the full COVID-19 Risks Outlook: A Preliminary Mapping and its Implications report here, and our impact story with further information.

Companies responses indicate that vaccination is perceived as significantly important for keeping the workplace and their employees safe, the authors of the report, Nathaniel L Wade and Mara G Aspinall from Arizona State Universitys College of Health Solutions, wrote.

44% of people will not be allowed to return to the physical work environment without vaccine compliance

Image: Arizona State University

Nearly 60% plan to incentivize employees to be vaccinated, 84% would allow vaccinations to be administered to employees at their facility and 60% will require employees to demonstrate proof of vaccination.

Vaccination will play a key role in what the future of work looks like.

Employees are facing a double-disruption scenario, according to the World Economic Forums Future of Jobs report, as automation and the COVID-19 pandemic redefine work.

In addition to the current disruption from the pandemic-induced lockdowns and economic contraction, technological adoption by companies will transform tasks, jobs and skills by 2025, the report says. By 2025, the time spent on current tasks at work by humans and machines will be equal.

The ASU report shows companies are still dealing with the fall-out from the pandemic.

Companies said 57% of their employees are still remote and are likely to remain so for much of the year. But the report indicated most employers want people to come together to work, at least some of the time. More than two-thirds of employers believe that employees should be in the office at least 20 hours per week, citing their top reason as social connections among colleagues, the report said.

The most popular reason why companies think employees should be in the office at least 20 hours a week is social contact.

Image: Arizona State University

Mental health was also a key feature of the report, with 50% of employers saying theyve seen an uptick in the use of resources relating to this area.

Many companies introduced more mental health measures to help employees through the struggles of the pandemic.

Image: Arizona State University

Employee mental health is now a top priority for more than 75% of those surveyed, the report showed. Even so, engagement and morale had increased.

The World Economic Forums Jobs Reset Summit brings together leaders from business, government, civil society, media and the broader public to shape a new agenda for growth, jobs, skills and equity.

The four-day virtual event, being held on 20-23 October 2020, comes as the world seeks a way out of the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus crisis has further disrupted the world of work after years of growing income inequality, concerns about tech-driven job displacement, and rising societal discord.

The Summit will develop new frameworks, shape innovative solutions and accelerate action on four thematic pillars: Economic Growth, Revival and Transformation; Work, Wages and Job Creation; Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning; and Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice.

The bottom line for us is that so many are working so hard to keep it all together to balance work, family, friends and even some fun, the report authors wrote. For the most part, it has worked, but we are not sure how much longer that balancing act can last.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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Survey: Will employees be required to get the COVID-19 vaccination? - World Economic Forum