Massachusetts employers still hesitant to mandate COVID-19 vaccine

As major national corporations including Walmart, Google, Delta Airlines, Tyson Foods and The Walt Disney company begin rolling out vaccine mandates for employees, many of the state’s largest employers are hesitant to do the same.

“Employers are caught in the middle,” said Christopher Geehern, executive vice president of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, whose 3,300 members employ Bay Staters.

He said he’s heard from members that some employees have health issues or reservations about the COVID-19 vaccine, while others feel uncomfortable working alongside unvaccinated colleagues, especially as the delta variant ramps up case numbers.

Although the AIM call center has seen an increase in the number of inquiries about vaccine mandates, “it’s a pretty drastic step to take at this point. Most employers don’t want to cross that line,” he said. Instead, they’re encouraging employees to get the vaccine and complying with CDC guidelines around mask-wearing and social distancing.

In Massachusetts, Attorney General Maura Healey’s office, state Auditor Suzanne Bump’s office and Treasurer Deborah Goldberg’s office mandated vaccines or regular COVID testing, as did Gov. Charlie Baker, who implemented a vaccine mandate for all staff at long-term care facilities.

The Herald reached out to many of the Bay State’s largest employers, and all who replied did not mandate a vaccine for employees.

GE, the state’s largest employer with 283,000 employees, will not mandate vaccines because of the differing availability and laws for vaccines across states and countries.

Some companies, including Bright Horizons, are offering incentives for employees to get the jab, though not requiring them. The company is giving vaccinated teachers and employees $100, according to a spokesperson.

While “Fidelity believes in the efficacy of the vaccines and believes that having as many associates vaccinated as possible is the best path to maximize safety,” it will not mandate vaccination to return to the office, a spokesperson said, citing exemptions for “religious, medical or other reasons.”

Procter & Gamble, which owns Gillette in Massachusetts, said “vaccinations are voluntary, though highly encouraged” in a statement. A spokesperson added that the company will adapt based on “new scientific guidelines and medical findings.”

Stop & Shop took a similar approach, but a spokesperson said employees must “verify their vaccination status as part of their daily health attestations.”

MAPFRE Insurance does not require vaccinations for employees, according to a spokesperson.

Staples and TJX Companies, which owns T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods and other companies, either declined to comment or dodged the question.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3ypXFDJ