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Déjà Leonard is a copywriter and freelance journalist based in Calgary.
Many Canadian companies are waiting to see if provincial governments are going to pass laws requiring workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, after the federal government announced on Aug. 13 that it will soon require federal employees, and those working in federally-regulated sectors, to be fully vaccinated.
While some companies wait, others like Twitter, a social networking service with about 150 employees in Canada, says it will be a requirement for employees who decide to return to the office.
But for those considering vaccination, the decision is not always black-and-white. And everyone who is not vaccinated is not necessarily against vaccinations.
Some individuals, for example, are immunocompromised or are taking medications that suppress their immune systems, which means the vaccine may not be as effective for them.
“That’s why it’s really important for people who have these immune-suppressed conditions to talk to an expert about their specific situation, because there is such a great amount of variability,” Aaron Richterman, an infectious disease fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, said in an article in National Geographic.
That said, the decision isn’t easy for employers either when we consider their role in keeping their employees safe.
Families in the United States have already filed COVID-19 wrongful death suits against employers – a scary prospect for companies that are already dealing with the economic fallout of the past couple of years.
And according to research by the Society of Human Resources Management, 53 per cent of small-business executives are concerned about the increased liability risks of running their business during the pandemic.
More companies are already taking action. Recent research by Ladders, a New York based career site for professionals, states that job ads requiring COVID-19 vaccination jumped 5,000 per cent since January.
“From a liability standpoint, from a practical business standpoint, you’re going to see certain businesses requiring proof of vaccine, particularly among their own employees because the cost of not doing so could mean the place of business is shut down,” Nainesh Kotak, the founder of law firm Kotak Personal Injury Law, said in an article by Global News.
So, as companies continue to weigh the risks of keeping employees safe and their business alive, many are rightfully choosing to impose a vaccine mandate. It will affect individuals differently, but hopefully put the collective on track toward living and working with less worry about COVID-19.
What I’m reading around the web
- Stephanie Davis, a Google executive in Singapore, typically has about 40 hours of meetings a week. In this article by Business Insider, she shares how she manages her calendar to avoid burnout and boost productivity.
- Books are gaining a new demand life cycle thanks to the #BookTok trend on TikTok where social media users share book reviews and recommendations. See how Canada’s biggest bookstore chain, Indigo, is surfing the new wave of sales.
- In a list of notable companies embracing the power of NFTs (non-fungible tokens), Coca-Cola is using these digital assets to raise money for Special Olympics International. And executives at the company think the trend will continue as culture moves toward digital worlds and wearables.
- Confused about what to wear when you return to the office? You’re not alone! Jennifer Dasher, assistant professor of costume design at the University of Florida, says conforming to a certain style of dress will begin to be more of a choice than an obligation, and the “desire to be comfortable will be central.”
More opinion from Globe Careers
A step-by-step guide for mastering the informational meeting when job-seeking No one will refer you into their network unless they have confidence in and trust you. They need to ensure that you will not reflect poorly on them, writes careers consultant Peter Caven in the Globe’s Leadership Lab.
More from the section
I’m overwhelmed at my new job. What should I do? In this week’s NinetoFive advice column, a reader asks for advice after they overplayed their abilities in their interview.
Is hybrid work the best choice, or just the compromise we settled for? The proverbial dust seems to have settled on the work-from-home debate, but maybe we goofed. Maybe we have failed to grasp the future.
Leadership Lab is a series where executives, experts and writers share their views and advice about the world of work. You can find all Leadership Lab stories at tgam.ca/leadershiplab and guidelines for how to contribute to the column here.
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