As the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate makes its way through the courts, a new survey by Willis Towers Watson, a leading global advisory, broking, and solutions firm, has discovered that the majority of U.S. employers now require or plan to require their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The survey, which was conducted from November 12 to 18, discovered that more than half (57 percent) of all respondents require or intend to require COVID-19 vaccinations. This includes 18% who currently require vaccinations, 32% who intend to require vaccinations only if the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) goes into effect, and 7% who intend to mandate vaccinations regardless of ETS status. The ETS, which is currently being challenged in court, allows employers to offer weekly testing to unvaccinated employees as an option.
Few employers (3%) with vaccination mandates have reported an increase in resignations, but nearly one-third (31%) of those planning mandates are extremely concerned that this may contribute to employees leaving their organizations. On the other hand, nearly half of employers (48%) believe that vaccine mandates could aid in the recruitment and retention of employees.
Employers are planning to require testing and masks in addition to vaccine mandates to protect employees who are returning to work. Almost all employers (84 percent) will provide testing, with the majority doing so on a weekly basis (80 percent ). Unless prohibited by state law, one-quarter (25%) of employers will require unvaccinated employees to pay for testing. Almost all employers (90 percent) require or intend to require the use of masks indoors.
“Despite the current holding pattern pending the court rulings, we advise employers to proceed with plans to implement the mandate as well as other efforts to protect their workers,” said Jeff Levin-Scherz, M.D., population health leader, Willis Towers Watson. “Employers can encourage vaccinations and boosters with scheduling flexibility and time off, promote regular testing, stipulate mask wearing onsite to ensure employee health and safety — and support this with regular communications.”
Employer enthusiasm for financial incentives for COVID-19 vaccination has also waned, according to the survey. Only 2% say they have a health insurance surcharge for unvaccinated employees or a premium reduction for vaccinated employees in place. Three-quarters (75%) provide no financial incentives; one-nineth (11%) provide some financial incentives; and 14% have discontinued or plan to discontinue financial incentives.
Approximately three-tenths of respondents (29%) say their organizations have already reached their “new normal” in terms of returning to work and removing pandemic-related policies. Approximately the same proportion (28 percent) believe their organizations will not reach the new normal until the third quarter of 2022 or later. Furthermore, respondents report that 34% of employees now work remotely. This figure is expected to fall to 27% in the first quarter of 2022. Employers who have returned remote workers to the workplace report that public health recommendations (79%), state regulations and recommendations (74%), and business needs (71%), were factors in their decisions.
“Employers continue to evaluate the best way to keep their workers, families and the community safe. With the risk of COVID-19 infection higher now than a month ago, some companies have delayed bringing employees back to the worksite,” said Dr. Levin-Scherz.
Other survey results include:
Business travel: Half of those polled (50%) have put pandemic restrictions in place for business travel. Almost two-thirds (65%) of those surveyed prohibit international travel, while 53% require approval for international travel. Domestic business travel is prohibited in roughly one-quarter of the cases (27 percent).
Vaccination rates: Nearly one-fifth (19%) of employers believe their employee vaccination rate is less than 50%, while one-third (33%) believe 75 percent or more of employees are vaccinated.
Federal contractors: The majority (53 percent) of federal contractors report that they will apply vaccine mandate rules to all workers at all locations.
COVID-19 screening: Employers are still developing testing strategies. Nearly half (47 percent) of those offering or planning to offer testing are either unsure or have not yet decided what type of testing to deploy, and 40% are either unsure or have not yet decided who would pay for testing.
Exemptions: More than half of those who need or plan to need vaccinations will evaluate requests for medical exemptions (51%) and religious exemptions (58%) internally.
“A lot has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic began.” “However, vaccination, masking, distancing, and improved ventilation remain critical in protecting workers from the virus and its variants,” Dr. Levin-Scherz concluded.
About the Survey
The Willis Towers Watson Fall 2021 COVID-19 Vaccination and Reopening the Workplace Survey, which was conducted from November 12 to 18, 2021, drew 543 U.S. employers. Respondents employ a total of 5.2 million people.