With about 63% of the United States population vaccinated for Covid-19, businesses are asking what to do about their vaccination policies. The pandemic restrictions set in place in March 2020 are beginning to ease up.
Businesses are reopening, and many have done away with their mask mandates. That leaves many business owners wary of how to continue to keep their employees and businesses safe.
A vaccination policy seems likely, but it isn’t that easy. If you want to learn more, keep reading our article for the five things a company needs to consider when implementing a vaccine plan.
1. Legality and Liability
In a perfect world, there would be a single vaccination plan for all businesses to follow. However, this is impossible because many companies and business owners are wary of possible liability lawsuits.
For instance, if you enforce a vaccination mandate and one of your employees experiences an adverse effect or allergic reaction, they may sue. Therefore, you have to consider your business apart from any others.
2. HIPAA Guidelines
The HIPAA privacy rule states that you cannot ask your employees to divulge confidential medical information. Of course, there is much debate on this topic concerning the COVID-19 vaccines.
As it stands now, there is nothing within the HIPAA guidelines stating you cannot ask to see proof of vaccination. While this is true, you should still consider that HIPAA adds to its rules and updates information every year. So, while it may not be illegal now, it could be in the future.
3. Incentives for Vaccination Policies
You can also consider implementing an incentive program for your business. Whether it is for your full-time employees or for your contracted workers, having prizes and positive rewards is always a plus.
If you have things like gift cards or even offer a few days of paid leave to your workers, then they may be more inclined to go out and get a vaccine. That is also an excellent way to get around mandating vaccinations and requiring that everyone get a shot.
4. Different Vaccination Programs
Look at your business and assess whether you have a small, medium, or large group of employees and offices. If you have a smaller staff, then you can suggest they seek vaccination within the community.
These days, several sites offer COVID-19 vaccines like clinics, FEMA centers, and grocery store pharmacies. However, if you have a large company, you may consider on-site vaccinations. You can have clinics send nurses out to vaccinate employees at the workplace.
5. Consider Your Employees
Always keep in mind that not everyone is eligible for the vaccine. While the Pfizer and Moderna shots are safe for most of the population, there are always outliers.
People with certain diseases and health risks may not be able to get the vaccine. Some of those people may work for you. So, when you devise your vaccination plan, keep those individuals in mind.
Go Through a Staffing Agency
As you can tell, there are several things you must consider before you implement vaccination policies at your place of business. Remember, you must always consider HIPAA guidelines and keep everything fair and balanced amongst your employees.
We hope this article helps you understand what to consider before you initiate a mandatory vaccine policy. At QualStaff Resources, we want to help you find quality employees. If you live in the San Diego area and need promising talent, please feel free to contact us today.
