ALEXANDRIA, Va.–As many credit unions are still working out their return-to-work policies, including whether to require vaccinations, a new survey has found two-thirds of U.S. adults say they have a right to know the vaccination status of fellow workers.
That result comes from the same survey, conducted by the American Staffing Association, that also found 60% say their personal vaccine status is no one's business but their own.
The American Staffing Association Workforce Monitor online survey was conducted from June 10–14 by The Harris Poll among 2,066 U.S. adults aged 18 and older.
As CUToday.info has reported, a number of large employers, including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and others, have announced proof-of-vaccination status requirements before they will permit employees to return to the office, which those companies are requiring.
Specifically, the survey found 70% of Baby Boomers say employees have a right to know co-workers’ COVID-19 vaccine status compared with 66% of Millennials and 60% of their Generation X counterparts. The largest support for privacy regarding their own Covid-19 vaccine status comes from Generation X (68%), closely followed by Millennials (67%), with half of Baby Boomers (52%) sharing this sentiment.
‘Send Talent Out the Door’
“And while many employers may wish to follow CDC guidance alleviating mask requirements for vaccinated persons, most U.S. workers want their colleagues wearing masks even if they have been vaccinated,” the ASA said of the survey results. “Amid severe labor shortages and high job resignation rates across the country, employers face the risk that getting it wrong will send talent out the door. As employers formulate return-to-office plans, this new revealing data can be an informative guide for decision-making.”
Nearly six in 10 U.S. adults (57%) believe employees should be required to wear a mask when working at an on-site work location, even after being vaccinated for Covid-19, according to the survey results.
The ASA said the survey found 70% of Blacks/African-Americans and 64% of Hispanics/Latinos believe employees should be required to wear a mask when working at an on-site work location, even after being vaccinated for COVID-19, compared with 50% of Whites/Caucasians. Two-thirds of parents with children under 18 (65%) feel this way, compared with 53% of nonparents of minor children, the ASA said.
Workers ‘Anxious’
“While government officials are rolling back COVID-19 requirements throughout the country, many workers aren’t ready to give up their masks just yet,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. “As brick-and-mortar workplaces reopen, workers are anxious about being around their colleagues once again. Employers must clearly communicate what steps they are taking to make their workplaces safe for their employees as they reopen.”