As the delta variant continues to fuel the surge of COVID-19 transmissions all over the country, President Biden has made a controversial move to release a vaccine mandate for all companies with 100 or more employees.
Companies’ Vaccine Mandates
As states are even debating whether to have mask mandates or not, having a vaccine mandate is controversial indeed.
But for those directly affected–companies with over 100 employees–the vaccine mandate has met with little to no opposition at all.
Instead, it boosted companies’ position, with some large-scale employers such as United Airlines with over 67,000 employees, in requiring their employees to get vaccinated or else risk getting fired.
Other employers with similar vaccine protocols are Disney, Facebook, and Google.
Meanwhile, in the childcare industry, Bright Horizons, a large chain of childcare centers with over 17,000 employees, has also required its childcare workers to get vaccinated.
States vs. Federal Government
Even before Biden imposed a vaccine mandate, state governors all over the country have imposed their own bans in various forms and scope.
For example, Gov. Abbott of Texas has banned all mask and vaccine mandates, even going as far as to threaten to revoke business licenses and halt operations for businesses and schools that defy his ban on mask and vaccine mandates.
Another governor who launched a ban against mask and vaccine mandates is Gov. DeSantis of Florida. As school administrators are prevented from mask mandates, Gov. DeSantis wants parents to decide whether to let their kids wear masks or not.
Meanwhile, despite state governors’ moves to ban mandates, city leaders, businesses, and schools have continued to defy these bans. Other cities have turned to the courts to overturn or block the governors’ bans.
States with the Federal Government
On the other hand, some states have been ahead of President Biden’s vaccine mandate. New York’s Gov. Katy Hochul has asked child care centres and daycare workers to wear masks. She has also asked key facilities to require visitors to be vaccinated before being allowed to enter their premises.
In addition to being vaccinated, staff, children over the age of two, and visitors are all required to wear masks when inside a childcare facility regardless of their vaccination status.
Gov. Hochul hopes these mandates will help curb the spread of COVID-19, especially the highly transmissible Delta strain and other emerging variants such as the Mu strain.
Vaccine Mandates for Childcare Workers
While President Biden’s vaccine mandate largely affects larger companies and childcare chains across the country, more and more childcare providers are helped and encouraged by the vaccine mandate to require the same of their employees. As childcare facilities remain a high-risk setting especially for young children who are yet to qualify for the vaccines, it largely falls on childcare workers to ensure the protection and safety not only of themselves but also their co-workers and children in their care.
Incentives for Vaccinated Childcare Workers
Aside from requiring being vaccinated for new hires, childcare providers can introduce incentives to encourage their employees to get the jab.
Give a monetary incentive for being vaccinated.
Bright Horizons has incentivized their employees for getting vaccinated by handing out a $100 bonus. In Bright Horizons’ case, the incentive was a welcome encouragement.
Grant paid sick leaves for those getting the jab.
The IRS has long supported businesses when it came to imposing COVID-19 safety measures. Employers can reimburse their employees paid sick leaves if it were granted to allow employees to get the jab.
Drop mask mandates.
Last but not the least, encourage employees to get the jab by relaxing other COVID-19 measures. A Texas childcare center has dropped their mask mandate for vaccinated employees. However, this incentive may not work for a childcare facility based in New York.
Despite President Biden’s orders, vaccine mandates for childcare workers still largely fall upon employers since the bulk of childcare workers across the country are employed in medium to small scale childcare facilities. While childcare workers may not be immediately and directly affected by President Biden’s vaccine mandate, this requirement may hopefully push childcare employers and their employees in the right direction of getting vaccinated for the protection and safety of everyone, especially vulnerable young children in their care.
Recent Comments