Employee vaccination policy
Covid-19 is still around, but a combination of more knowledge about how the virus works plus widely available vaccines and boosters have allowed many workplaces to return, at least partially, to a more normal, if sometimes changed and updated, routine.
Vaccines are not a legal requirement in most sectors, but the government has instructed employers to recommend and encourage staff to be vaccinated. Employers should be thinking about how they encourage vaccination, even if there is no legal requirement. A company might share practical information about how to get vaccinated, post information on company sources, and allow workers to take time off to be vaccinated. Employers should also consider how to ensure their sick leave policies and procedures do not disincentivize workers from getting vaccinated. This could include concerns about side effects, and enabling staff to take a limited amount of time off after a vaccine if they suffer from a side effect, without necessarily having to provide a sick note.
Sample vaccine policy for employers
How does your business define fully vaccinated? Do you expect staff to get boosters? Do you give time off for shots, or have incentives for those that get boosted?
These are some of the most important questions facing employers during the current Omicron wave and afterwards as people return to the office.
It’s important to have a strong vaccine policy at work, which is flexible and ready to incorporate new legal guidance around mandates as well as booster shots. This could be as simple as updating policies from “double-jabbed” to “fully vaccinated” to avoid confusion as definitions change.
Download the sample vaccination policy template
If you don’t have a comprehensive vaccinations policy you can download our template and use it for free. Customise it with your organisation’s own incentives and procedures for encouraging vaccinations and meeting your duty of care to staff.
