It seems like a century has passed since COVID-19 began reshaping nearly every facet of our lives and livelihoods. Then in early 2021, we received a flood of promising news about vaccine safety, effectiveness and availability. By late spring, nearly all American adults were eligible for and had access to a COVID-19 vaccine.
People across the country rolled up their sleeves, and by early August 2021, about 80% of adults had received at least one dose, according to the United States Census Bureau.
But there’s still a lot of work to be done, especially since new strains of the coronavirus, such as the Delta variant, continue to put the health of people – and our economy – at risk.
The focus now is on making sure that vaccination efforts continue to succeed – a goal that will be achieved more easily with the support of businesses like yours.
How we got here: The massive impact the coronavirus had on businesses
No business was left untouched by the COVID-19 pandemic – and the effects are ongoing.
According to data from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, more than 40% of businesses surveyed temporarily closed early in the outbreak.
But the pandemic didn’t just affect the bottom line, it also prompted fundamental changes in the way we work. Every organization was required to rethink their operations. And despite many challenges, some businesses found cost and productivity efficiencies to help offset losses and took successful steps to foster a thriving creative culture at a distance.
The silver lining is that, in many cases, the decisions made during the pandemic will bolster long-term success and financial stability even as we move toward a new, post-pandemic normal.
The positive impact of the COVID-19 vaccine on business
Today, a sense of relief permeates the air. Most shops and restaurants have reopened – and in most cases, mask restrictions have been lifted. People are vacationing and getting together with friends. Much of this can be attributed to the success of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Here’s what we know about the COVID-19 vaccines: They’re safe, they’re effective, and the higher the number of vaccinated people, the safer we’ll all be.
And according to the United States Census Bureau, as vaccination rates rise within a community, the less likely people are to experience stress or skip health care appointments – which means happier and more productive employees for you.
Despite all the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine hesitancy and low rates of vaccination coverage in some areas are driving up the number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
So, it’s important to take strategic steps – particularly when it comes to developing a COVID-19 vaccination strategy and workplace vaccination program – to keep your employees and business healthy for the long run.
Why the success of COVID-19 vaccines remains critical to your business
The safety of your employees, customers and community members depends on containing the disease
The steps you’ve taken to protect your workplace, employees, customers and communities from COVID-19 are helping protect the health of everyone. But COVID-19 is still out there, and new variants are likely to keep popping up, which means many of the people who are most essential to your business are still at risk for infection. Any employees or customers who get sick can have a direct impact on your operations and bottom line – a reality businesses have been dealing with from the beginning.
High rates of vaccination are essential for protecting your employees, customers, communities and business – which brings us to our next point.
High community rates of COVID-19 vaccination are essential for the continued success of your business
If we can’t minimize the impact of the Delta variant and other new strains of COVID-19, the future may look a lot like the past – more isolation, more closures, more revenue loss and so on. But that’s where the vaccines come in.
And the more quickly we increase vaccination rates, the more quickly your business can get to where it wants to be – and stay there.
The long-term health of your business is at stake
Now that your business has reopened, you undoubtedly want to stay open. For this to happen, we need the number of COVID-19 cases to remain low – something that will be driven by vaccination rates inside and outside the communities you serve.
Your employees can be big contributors to increasing vaccination rates. And helping them understand how their decision to get vaccinated can have a positive impact on the community and your business is an important step. But there’s another reason to care about the vaccination decisions of your workforce: Employees who could be vaccinated, but choose not to be, could put others at risk.
Vaccinations can help ensure that your business is a safe place for people to work and for customers to spend their money.
Watch and learn about COVID-19 vaccines and the impact on employers
Why your organization is critical to the success of the COVID-19 vaccines
The pandemic is more than a medical crisis – it’s a communications crisis, too
With so much COVID-19 information being shared, it can be hard to know what’s important, accurate and relevant. Throughout the pandemic, especially in the early days and weeks, information and guidance seemed to become outdated quickly or needed constant clarification – sowing some seeds of confusion and distrust.
Then and now, people are looking for someone to trust, but who? It turns out it may be you.
According to the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer – which provides an annual look at global trust in business, government, media and NGOs – business is the most trusted institution right now.
This makes sense. During the pandemic, businesses everywhere stepped up in a big way with measures to keep employees safe – and employed.
By being part of the conversation about COVID-19 vaccines, you can continue to keep your business and employees safe and healthy. And one of the biggest hurdles is lingering hesitancy and skepticism around vaccine safety and efficacy.
There’s a lot of misinformation out there about the COVID-19 vaccines. The good news is that public sentiment about the COVID-19 vaccine is shifting and growing more positive. But to be truly successful against COVID-19 and move closer to normal, we need the help of businesses like yours.
Joining the effort to educate the public not only strengthens the message, but can also speed vaccine adoption
Your business is your employees’ livelihood. So, the success of the business is also tied to their success. Those who are disinclined to be vaccinated for one reason or another may be more willing to do so if they understand its importance to the business.
By aligning your message with that of leading experts at the federal and local level, while also personalizing communications, you can strengthen your employees’ confidence in the vaccines and willingness to get vaccinated. And as we already mentioned, increasing vaccination rates is the pathway to moving your business forward.
It’s usually not a matter of mandating vaccinations for your employees to feel compelled to get vaccinated. Rather, let them know that being vaccinated is the safest and quickest way to get to the new normal – where we have the best protections in place to keep people and the business safe and healthy. But, depending on your business, it might make sense to consider vaccination requirements. HealthPartners now requires vaccinations for its employees as a step toward keeping our community safe.
The bottom line: It’s an opportunity (and your responsibility) to build confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine
The success of the COVID-19 vaccine is a critical factor in getting back to business once and for all. Most Americans are leaning toward getting a vaccine. But that doesn’t mean they’ll receive it without the right information, motivation or support. How can we ensure the highest levels of vaccination? Communication is key.
For starters, you can help by promoting COVID-19 vaccines to employees with accurate, transparent and tailored messages. And when it’s time for your employees to get their vaccines, make it easier for them by providing flexible scheduling and time off. Depending on your employee population, assisting with transportation can also be helpful. And after they’ve received their vaccination, make sure to acknowledge their role in helping to keep everyone safe.
If you have questions or need help along the way, we have you covered. Our compilation of COVID-19 resources for businesses include the latest news, information and guidance. We also offer support and a range of services through our Back to Business solution to help employers operate safely through the pandemic.
Learn more about our Back to Business solution