As COVID-19 vaccination rates increase and public health measures continue to be recommended, many employers have wondered how they can contribute to the ongoing campaign to end the pandemic. In addition to diligent disinfection practices and comprehensive screening through visitor management systems, encouraging staff to get vaccinated will ensure your workplace stays healthy, productive, and safe. Here's a closer look at how to approach this topic.

Can Managers Mandate COVID-19 Vaccinations?

For the most part, employers are within their rights to require employees who physically enter their premises to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers can mandate vaccinations if the danger to employees’ health is deemed severe enough. 

Furthermore, they must make provisions for those who, due to compromised immune health, disability, or pregnancy, are unable to be vaccinated. For example, those who won’t or can’t receive a vaccination can be asked to work from home, wear a mask in the workplace, or be given periodic COVID-19 testing.

Workplace vaccine mandates must apply to all employees regardless of race, sex, beliefs, or other personal factors. While the ADA prohibits employers from asking questions about an employee’s disabilities, COVID-19 vaccination status does not fall under this category, and managers may ask their workers whether they’ve received a vaccination, how many doses they’ve received, and whether they require any special accommodations.

How Can You Encourage Employees to Get Vaccinated?

The daily rate of vaccine doses administered has plummeted from its peak in April 2021. This represents a trend in which many unvaccinated people are likely to carry on avoiding the vaccine unless required or encouraged to do so.

Apart from mandating vaccination, employers can encourage their workers to get immunized by offering cash bonuses, gift cards, and other incentives. Offering the latest information on vaccine safety and efficacy and addressing common questions can also ease reluctant employees’ concerns and increase workplace vaccination rates.

In addition to boosting COVID-19 vaccination rates, employers can equip their place of business with a visitor management system that can test for the presence of COVID, verify and track vaccination status, and perform temperature scans. Placing such systems at a business’s entrance will provide employers with an up-to-date picture of their employees’ health and reduce the risk of an outbreak or liability incident.

Supplement your company's COVID-19 vaccination efforts with help from the specialists at Accushield in Atlanta, GA. Since 2013, this company has offered an effective touchless visitor management system to businesses across the country. Their technology performs COVID-19 testing and records key health information from all employees and visitors, and its HealthPass feature can streamline building access by rapidly verifying employees’ health status. Call (800) 478-5085 to speak to a team member and visit them online to request a demonstration.