As the coronavirus continues to spread through the unvaccinated members of the American population, with cases and hospitalizations surging to new highs in some areas of the country, the nation’s return to work productivity is being threatened.
And employers are considering harsher methods to sway their unconvinced workers to get the shot.
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For starters, some big businesses will require all of their workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and the workplaces in question aren’t just medical facilities. Tyson Foods and United Airlines will be imposing vaccine mandates, as will the nation’s armed forces.
But for companies who aren’t ready to go “full mandate” just yet, a new idea has arisen, one that will hit employees where it hurts most if they choose to remain unvaccinated – a pricey health insurance surcharge.
Wade Symons, an employee benefits attorney and partner at the New York-based consulting firm Mercer, wrote in a blog post on Thursday that 'a number' of employers are exploring that option. Many companies reportedly see it like tacking on a surcharge similar to the one used for smokers.
Experts say it could take hundreds of dollars per year out of a worker’s paycheck. The idea is gaining support from companies fearful of pushing too hard and losing too much of their workforce over mandates but still want to nudge employees towards the vaccine by making life a little harder on anti-vaxxers.
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With the Delta variant proving far more contagious than its predecessor and the current vaccines moving closer every day towards full FDA approval, it’s no surprise that companies are looking to push the fence-sitters towards getting the shot as visions of last year’s lockdown-fueled losses remain at the front of the minds of business owners.
Denise Rousseau, professor of organizational behavior and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College, told USA Today that the current public health climate may be opening the door to change some anti-vaxxers’ minds.
“What you’re seeing is employers realizing that that resistance is softer than it might have been a few months ago as the Delta variant gets more extreme,” Rousseau said.
The proposed surcharge could be in the vicinity of $20-$50 per check, which would potentially take hundreds of dollars out of the pockets of anti-vaxxers every year as employers fear the damage of a COVID-imposed shutdown.
“People are loss-sensitive,” Rousseau said. “Losses are more painful than gains are good. If the incentives are experienced as a loss, they’ll act to correct that loss.”
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