Employer’s Guide to Preparing COVID-19 Vaccine Program

Encouraging your employees to get vaccinated will help them stay safe and reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Establishing a workplace COVID-19 vaccine program will allow your human resources team to educate employees and ensure they have everything they need to get vaccinated. 

1. Offer Your Employees Flexibility 

One of the most valuable ways you can support your employees during the vaccination process is to allow them paid time off and flexibility for those who experience side effects. 

Many have reported that the side effects of the second dose are more severe, including cold-like symptoms, body aches, and fever. It is still unclear how common these symptoms might be, so make sure that your workers have the flexibility to stay home and recover. 

It may also be beneficial to stagger employee vaccinations, especially if they will be receiving 2-dose vaccines. By creating a schedule, you can ensure that you do not have employee shortages and can continue operations while still allowing them the time they need to recover. 

In other words, don’t make them have to choose between getting vaccinated and coming to work!

2. Verify Insurance Coverage 

Your human resource team should verify the insurance coverage available, should an employee experience any complications post-vaccine. 

While it is not guaranteed that every individual will experience negative symptoms after receiving the vaccine, they should have access to insurance information just in case. Arming them with the details about insurance coverage will also help them feel more comfortable getting vaccinated!

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3. Provide Accurate Vaccination Information

There is a lot of false or misleading information floating around online and on social media regarding the vaccines, so make it a point to spread factual awareness. Your goal should be to boost their confidence about the efficacy of vaccination in fighting COVID-19, and you can utilise flyers, videos, or online workshops to provide the data. 

Here are some examples of the information you should disseminate:

• Posters that explain the importance of vaccination
• Details about how they can register to get vaccinated in your area
• Promotional flyers that demonstrate vaccination participation from workers and leaders
• FAQs about the vaccination process

Be sure to try other channels such as social media and emails as well, so that you can communicate the benefits of protecting themselves, their families, coworkers, and the community. 

4. Designate a Contact Person

There will likely be questions about your workplace COVID-19 vaccine program, so your human resource team should designate a specific contact person to handle them. 

Having an assigned person or team of people to be a resource for the vaccine will empower your workers with confidence that they can get the support they need. 

5. Lead by Example

Leading by example is a vital part of a company's COVID-19 vaccine support program. Key leaders and personnel should champion the vaccine and share their reasons for choosing to go through the process. 

This will help others recognise the value of getting vaccinated and give them the time they need for their confidence to grow. Not everyone will feel comfortable initially, but as they see their friends and colleagues getting vaccinated and thriving, they will be more likely to move forward with it. 

Better yet, your HR team should be the first to go through the process so that they can answer specific questions and speak from firsthand experience!