According to a study from Qualtrics, 58% of employees said they support President Joe Biden’s new executive order that would mandate vaccination at companies with 100 or more workers.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration detailed its new COVID-related vaccination rules last week, giving workers the opportunity to be vaccinated by January 4, 2022 or face routine testing.
“The time to watch and wait on vaccine mandates is over. The Biden Administration has started the clock – and now it’s up to company leaders to quickly implement the new standards with as little disruption as possible,” said Sydney Heimbrock, chief industry advisory for government at Qualtrics.
According to the survey, 55% of employees said they would consider reporting a coworker for violating these new rules.
However, 84% of employees said political influences could impact their employers’ handling of pandemic-related rules, such as masking, testing, and mandating the vaccine.
Heimbrock added that since vaccinations have become an emotional experience for some employees, leaders will need to offer more empathy when navigating this challenging time.
Support for a vaccine mandate varied across specific industries, with respondents showing more support for healthcare and federal vaccination requirements rather than a broad mandate.