During the most recent wave of COVID cases, some of the largest brands in the UK, including Next, Ikea and Ocado, made the decision to cut sick pay for unvaccinated staff who were self-isolating.
This move by employers to encourage staff to take the vaccine follows a year of debate over mandatory vaccination, particularly in frontline sectors like health and social care.
While the government has announced a withdrawal of mandatory vaccinations, organisations are continuing to consider their stance.
Steve Tonks, Senior Vice President – EMEA at WorkForce Software, spoke with Health Tech World about how business leaders must strike a balance between advocating for the health and safety of their staff while maintaining an inclusive culture.
“Automated workforce technologies will also help companies to provide their teams with the latest, most accurate information. This should be accessible from their smartphones, making it easier for companies to quickly adapt to changing mandates,” Tonks says.
Providing employees with an ultimatum is not desirable. Instead, employers should actively encourage vaccination while working with employees to ensure safe working practices.
Tonks adds, “[Modern workforce management] technologies should be capable of performing regular HR tasks, like clocking into work, so companies can analyse this data beyond general shift tracking.”
