By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Vaccine Survey: Nearly 20% of US workers unsure about taking vaccine
biz_lgp_vaccinesurveygraph
One-fifth of U.S. workers – 19% – are undecided about whether to get the vaccine. • Three-quarters plan to take an FDA-approved vaccine when available. • Only 6% do not plan to get the vaccine.
biz _lgp_vaccinegraph
Indecision over taking the vaccine increases as worker rank decreases. • Individual contributors: Only 67% of these lower-ranking workers plan to take the vaccine. • CEOs: 85% of those at the top, however, plan to take it. “Indecision about the vaccine may be driven by a distrust of the health-care system, government agencies, or the efficacy of the vaccine itself. In many states, the vaccination registration process can be complicated,” said Amy Lui Abel, PhD, Vice President, Human Capital Research at The Conference Board. “Many companies, on the other hand, have the trust of their staff; they may consider sharing facts and dispelling myths about the vaccine, or enabling government plans to immunize their workers.”
biz_lgp_vaccinesurveygraph
Gender gap: Women are more undecided about taking the vaccine than men. • More men (80%) are planning to take the vaccine than women (73%).
biz_lgp_vaccinesurveygraph
In addition to being more willing to take the vaccine, men are also more comfortable returning to the office at nearly two times the rate of women. • Men: 32% of men are very comfortable returning to the office. • Women: Only 17% of women feel very comfortable returning.
biz_lgp_vaccinesurveygraph
“Given that care-taking responsibilities still disproportionately fall to women, the gender disparity in comfort returning to the workplace is understandable,” said Rebecca Ray, PhD, Executive Vice President, Human Capital at The Conference Board. “Insufficient childcare, a fear of exposing their families to COVID-19, or the impact of contracting the disease themselves may very well be driving this concern.” Nearly half of respondents say their company has yet to communicate a vaccination policy. • One-third of companies strongly encourage getting the vaccine as a condition of returning to the workplace but are not mandating it. • Only 1% require a vaccine for all workers.
biz_lgp_vaccinesurveygraph
Uncertainty about how workers will return to the office has increased. • Nearly a full year into the pandemic, plans for returning to the office or worksite remain unknown to 44% of respondents. That is up from 37% in the September survey.
biz_lgp_vaccinesurveygraph
When will my company reopen? 28% expect to return in 7 to 12 months. • Within 6 months, April to June 2021: 21%. • Unsure/Do not know: 8%.
biz_lgp_vaccinesurveygraph
Lower-ranking employees are less comfortable than senior leaders about returning. • Individual contributors: Only 14% are very comfortable returning to the workplace. • CEOs: 44% are very comfortable, or even want to return, to the workplace. “Given that higher-ranking staff likely have more control over their work environment and more input into office reopening plans, it is not surprising that they are more comfortable returning to the workplace,” said Amy Lui Abel, PhD, Vice President, Human Capital Research at The Conference Board. “Clear communication about reopening plans and the implementation of safety measures can help ease concerns.”
biz_lgp_vaccinesurveygraph
Employee discomfort with returning to work has declined with the vaccine rollout. • Only 18% of respondents are uncomfortable returning to work, a sharp decline from the 31% in the September survey who reported discomfort with the prospect. • More respondents describe themselves as very comfortable returning to work (22%) than are not comfortable doing so (18%). That is a reversal from September.

NEW YORK — As the U.S. rolls out the COVID-19 vaccine, a survey of U.S. workers finds that 1 in 5 employees are undecided about whether to take it. 

The Conference Board survey reveals that employee rank accounts for much of this hesitation: lower-level workers are less willing to receive the vaccine than senior leadership. Moreover, the nationwide survey found that nearly half of companies have yet to communicate a policy on getting the vaccine. And of those organizations that have, most are encouraging workers to receive the vaccine but not mandating it as a condition of returning to the office.  

“Nearly a year into the pandemic, workers are still faced with an abundance of uncertainty. Many workers – especially lower-ranking staff and women – feel unsure about the vaccine and have discomfort returning to the workplace,” said Rebecca Ray, PhD, Executive Vice President, Human Capital at The Conference Board. “These findings reinforce the need for companies to limit as much uncertainty as possible by communicating what they know and what their expectations are about returning to the workplace, as well as guidelines about the vaccine to employees.” 

Conducted between Jan. 13–26, the online survey covered two key topics: policies pertaining to the vaccine and reopening the workplace. More than 2,200 U.S. workers participated, representing a cross-section of people across industries. It is a follow-up to similar surveys conducted in September and again in October.