New KFF Study Shows that Employers Who Offer Paid Leave for COVID-19 Vaccinations Will Increase Willingness for Employees to Get Vaccinated
A new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation this week highlights the correlation between employers providing paid leave to employees to get and recover from the COVID-19 vaccine and an increased willingness by employees to get vaccinated. Under the American Rescue Plan, tax credits are available to employers to cover the costs of providing paid leave to employees to get the vaccine and recover from any potential side effects. This tax incentive demonstrates President Biden’s understanding that the effort to vaccinate Americans is a partnership between the public and private sector. Even as President Biden’s vaccination program surges ahead, getting shots into the arms of every American is and has always been a team effort. Employers have an obligation to encourage their employees to get vaccinated, and the tax credits made available to them through the American Rescue Plan to cover the costs of providing paid leave is that opportunity to do so.
In response to the overwhelming benefits of providing paid leave for vaccinations, Protect Our Care’s Coronavirus War Room Spokesperson Michael Feldman issued the following statement:
“Providing paid-leave to employees to get and recover from the coronavirus vaccine is a no-brainer for any employer and a necessary part of the fight to defeat the pandemic. Thanks to President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, companies are eligible for tax credits if they provide paid leave for vaccinations, and as studies have shown, this will only serve to increase employees’ willingness to get the vaccine.
“President Biden’s American Rescue Plan has provided the much-needed funding to give employers the incentives and resources to get their employees vaccinated and return to a safe work environment. While some large employers have stepped up to do the right thing, there are many who have yet to offer these incentives to employees. Employers everywhere should want their employees to be safe in the workplace, and those who are refusing to offer paid leave for vaccinations are actively hurting the nation’s effort to put an end to this pandemic.”
Read the Kaiser Family Foundation’s study on why providing paid leave to employees to get vaccinated will increase vaccination rates:
Almost Three In Ten Unvaccinated Workers Would Be More Likely To Get Vaccinated If They Had Access To Paid Time Off To Do So. Overall, nearly three in ten (28%) employed adults who are not yet ready to get the vaccine say that they would be more likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine if their employer gave them paid time off to get vaccinated and recover from any side effects.
Black And Hispanic Workers Are Especially Likely To Be Concerned About Needing Time Off For Vaccinations. KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor data from April 2021 show that nearly two-thirds (64%) of unvaccinated Hispanic adults and over half of Black adults (55%) are concerned that they might miss work due to side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine. Further, three in ten (30%) Hispanic adults and about a quarter (23%) of Black adults are concerned that they might need to take time off work to get the COVID vaccine, compared to 16% of White adults.