Majority of US Companies Want To Impose Vaccine Mandates

A new survey reported that more US companies are now planning on COVID vaccine mandates for their employees. In fact, expect the number of US companies requiring employees to show proof of vaccination to surge over the next few months.

This is according to data from a survey by Willis Towers Watson, a multinational advisory and insurance firm. Around 1,000 American company owners that employ a total of 10 million workers participated in the survey. 

RELATED: Google And Facebook To Require Vaccines For Employees

52% Of US Companies Want a Vaccine Mandate by Year-End

According to the Willis Towers Watson survey, 52% of employers surveyed want vaccine mandates in their office by the year’s end. This includes requiring complete vaccines for some or all employees.

It also covers restricting access to common areas to vaccinated employees. The 52% recorded during the August 18-25 survey presents a sharp increase. Currently, only 21% of US companies have a vaccine mandate in place.

In addition, 29% of US employers plan to make vaccinations a condition for workplace access. Another 21% say they want to make vaccine status a condition of employment for their workers. 

It helped that the August survey happened during a particularly tough period for American workers. The more contagious Delta variant helped make a CODI-19 resurgence during the summer. This made a lot of workers and employers think twice about measures against the virus. 

FDA Approval Made It Easier For US Companies To Issue Vaccine Mandates

Dr. Jeff Levin-Scherz, Willis Towers Watson's population health leader, issued a statement on the survey. “The delta variant has made employers take new actions to keep their workers — and workplaces — safe and healthy. We expect even more employers to institute vaccine mandates in the wake of FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine,” he said. 

“This is not an easy situation for employers to navigate. For instance, new policies such as tracking workers’ vaccinations can improve safety but also bring additional administrative requirements. At the same time, employers will continue efforts to encourage vaccination and communicate regularly with employees,” he added. 

Are Vaccine Mandates in US Companies Legal?

According to the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, employers can legally impose vaccine mandates. Companies can legally require COVID-19 vaccines to re-enter a physical workplace as long as they follow requirements.

This includes providing alternative arrangements for unvaccinated employees for medical or religious reasons. Despite the opinion, many workers across the country are still fighting the mandates through lawsuits and protests.  

For now, many US companies will push through with the mandates. Currently, the number of firms tracking worker vaccination status is on the rise. Around 59% of employers currently track their employees' vaccination status.

Meanwhile, an additional 19% are planning to do so within the year. This makes a total of 78% of US companies wanting to track vaccine status for workers. In addition, some 31% of employers are offering incentives for staff to complete the vaccines.

Watch the CNBC Television video reporting that a new poll shows the majority support businesses mandating vaccines:

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Do you agree with imposing vaccine mandates on companies? Also, do you agree that companies can legally require employees to get vaccines as a condition for employment?

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