NSC calls on employers to require employee COVID-19 vaccination

Itasca, IL — The National Safety Council is urging all employers to implement a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for their workers and unveiled a guide outlining four levels of requirement for various workplace risk profiles.

A recent survey conducted by NSC found that when employers require COVID-19 vaccination, the number of workers who get a shot increases 35%.

“The data is clear: Workplace requirements are a proven way to encourage vaccine uptake and accelerate the country’s path to community immunity against COVID-19,” NSC President and CEO Lorraine M. Martin said. “Consistent with our mission, we’re calling on employers to advance the nation’s progress on living safely with this virus by requiring vaccines in a manner that’s appropriate for their workers’ risk profile.”

To aid employers in their efforts to get workers vaccinated, NSC issued guidance outlining a spectrum of vaccine requirement approaches and considerations for implementation in varying work settings. This release of the guidance comes after the Food and Drug Administration’s recent formal approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

NSC also urges federal and state governments to remove prohibitions or barriers to vaccine requirements, expedite the full approval of vaccines, and issue factual updates on vaccines as quickly as possible.

“It’s clear COVID-19 has and will continue, perhaps indefinitely, to affect the way we live and work,” Martin said. “Employers must put worker health and safety first. That begins with prioritizing vaccination.”

Hear more about NSC’s vaccine implementation plan. NSC will host a webinar at 10 a.m. Central on Sept. 9. Register today.