COVID-19 vaccinations: Half of employees would like support from their employer

Half of employees in Switzerland would like their employer to support them in the ongoing vaccination campaign. Almost a third of the approximately 1,500 respondents would like their employer to recommend that employees be vaccinated, and almost a quarter would like to see more extensive and active support through incentives such as a bonus or a change in procedures to make it easier to vaccinate. Companies have a vital interest in getting back to "normal" as soon as possible.

Many people in Switzerland have been waiting for a vaccine against COVID-19 for a long time. Others have reservations and would prefer not to be vaccinated until later or not at all. The federal government and cantons have developed their vaccination strategies and now want to implement them as quickly as possible. Employees in vital sectors, such as healthcare, were given the opportunity to be vaccinated at an earlier stage.

As part of a broad study on how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, the consulting company Deloitte asked around 1,500 employees in Switzerland what they expect from their employer regarding the COVID-19 vaccination. Opinions vary: Half see vaccinations as a private matter and expect the employer to stay out of it completely. The other half would like the company they work for to show active commitment to the health of its employees.

Of those who advocate an active role for the employer, 59 per cent want employers to recommend that employees be vaccinated. 47 per cent would like to see their companies actively encourage their employees to get vaccinated by using incentives, such as bonuses, or even organising vaccination appointments. 16 per cent even want a vaccination to be required for certain activities.

The survey shows hardly any difference between the individual parts of the country or age groups, but the assessments vary between SMEs and large companies: employees at larger companies are somewhat more open to their employers actively influencing the vaccination process.

Companies need normality again

Many companies have an obvious interest in their workforce being able to meet in person again to develop new ideas, cultivate team spirit and collaborate closely in order to advance projects. Customer contact also suffered during the coronavirus crisis, which could have a negative overall impact on a company's outlook. "For this reason, it is essential for companies to be able to return to normality as quickly as possible – knowing that the situation will no longer be the same as it was before the pandemic, even after the coronavirus crisis has subsided", says Nico Kleyn, Head of Health Care at Deloitte Switzerland. "Companies, therefore, need to consider what operational measures they want to take - within the limits of what is currently possible from a regulatory point of view - to drive normalisation and support their employees."