COVID-19 vaccine incentive programs: The CDC’s recs

With COVID-19 vaccinations becoming more widely available, many employers are anxious to get their workforce protected.

Unfortunately, companies can’t require employees to get the vaccine (particularly those with a religious objection). However, employers may strongly encourage workers to do so.

How to encourage

Here are some simple ways employers can encourage their staff to get vaccinated, according to the CDC:

1. Make it convenient. Is it possible to bring the vaccine to your workplace? If you have an on-site vaccine clinic, your people will be much more likely to receive it.
2. Give time off. If an on-site clinic isn’t possible, do the next best thing – allow employees to take paid time off to get it elsewhere. You could even organize transportation to the vaccine location.
3. Raise awareness. A simple thing every employer can do is educate their employees about the benefits of receiving the vaccine and where they can get it.

Other incentives

Taking it a step further, employers may want to offer incentives, such as gift cards, bonuses or other rewards. Generally, this is legal, but there are things to consider.

When deciding how much to make the incentive for, remember it needs to be enough to pique the interest of employees. On the flip side, if the incentive is too high, employees may assume that means the vaccine is risky.

It’s currently unclear if vaccine incentive programs are considered to be a wellness program by the EEOC, but it’s something to keep in mind. Employers should treat it as if it is a wellness program, meaning it must be absolutely voluntary and follow ADA regulations.

Renee Cocchi

Renée Cocchi has a passion for learning and helping other professionals do their jobs more effectively and efficiently. She earned her Master's Degree from Drexel University, and she’s spent the past few decades working as a writer and editor in the publishing industry. Her experience covers a wide variety of fields from benefits and compensation in HR, to medical, to safety, to business management. Her experience covers trade publications, newsmagazines, and B2B newsletters and websites. When she's not working, she spends her free time just chilling with her family and volunteering at a local dog shelter. Her goal in life is to help all shelter dogs get happy, loving homes!