CommCore Blog and News

As COVID-19 vaccines roll out nationwide, can employers plan for getting back to the old normal? Perhaps, but not so fast.

Many Americans are skeptical of receiving the vaccine and any potential side effects. A recent Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey found that over a quarter of Americans said they would rather lose their job than get a vaccine if required by an employer.

This reluctance against mandatory vaccines, along with distrust of many Black Americans to government sponsored health initiatives, puts more on the shoulders of employers to communicate with their diverse work force.

Let’s add another variable. Even for those who get a vaccine, how many want to Return to Work (RTW) at the office vs. Work from Home (WFH) either full time or most of the time? Employers who want the staff back in the office have a different messaging challenge.

To help organizations plan for RTW, CommCore launched Project RESTART to help communications and HR professionals ensure that their vaccine compliance and RTW messages and tactics are more successful. The goal is to encourage all employees and partners to take the shot and to figure out the new “normal” in the workplace.

CommCore has been working with clients since March 2020 on COVID-19 communications strategies. Here are a several recommendations on how to reach out to employees about vaccine compliance:

1. Safety comes first. Use information from the CDC and local and state health authorities, with comments from your own medical personnel.
2. Involve the C-suite – leadership in times of crisis is vital
3. If you started early, keep communicating – if you haven’t, start now. This is an ongoing effort to educate and encourage
4. Continue to build morale and trust with positive information while also empathizing with employee concerns. As news and information changes, so do attitudes and beliefs.
5. Communications is a team effort. Legal counsel, communications and HR teams should all be working together

CommCore can help your communications efforts be successful. Contact us for more information.