Companies are giving employees time off and extra money to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
Online grocery delivery service Instacart announced a “Covid-19 Vaccine Support Dot” Thursday, raising $ 25 for shift leaders, in-store shoppers and full-service shoppers getting vaccinated starting Feb. 1.
The idea is to ensure that “Instacart shoppers don’t have to choose between earning income as an essential service provider or getting vaccinated,” Apoorva Mehta, Instacart founder and CEO, said in a release.
Mehta also advocates that Instacart’s independently contracted in-store shoppers be given priority access to the vaccine. (While it is recommended to include supermarket workers in phase 1b of the vaccination, Instacart shoppers are not recognized by the government as key workers.)
Even with scheduled appointments, some people who qualify for the vaccine have experienced wait times in many states.
The popular supermarket chain Trader Joe’s will reimburse employees with two hours of payment per dose of the vaccine received, and will take steps to ensure that ‘Crew Members’ (employees responsible for tasks such as working with checkouts, receiving and unloading deliveries, shelves, building displays, cleaning the floor, etc.) have time to make an appointment, Trader Joe spokesman Kenya Friend-Daniel told CNBC Make It.
Dollar General also announced on Wednesday that it would give a one-time payment equal to four hours of wages to the team members per hour on the front lines after vaccination. According to a release, the paid team will also be provided with accommodation to make up for the time spent getting the vaccine.
From a legal standpoint, employers can require employees to be vaccinated before returning to work, as long as they allow reasonable accommodation for those with medical problems or religious exemptions.
While these retailers don’t require workers to be vaccinated, such programs can provide incentives for people to get the vaccine so that they feel safer at work. According to Pew data released in December, 60% of Americans say they would definitely or likely receive a vaccine against the coronavirus.
Robert Litan, an economist affiliated with the Brookings Institution, told NPR that giving people cash payments by the federal government for vaccination would encourage people to get the vaccine. (Of course, this would theoretically cost the government hundreds of billions of dollars to fund.)
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s foremost infectious disease expert, has said 80% of the population must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity.
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