Research by Humanforce, a provider of intelligent workforce management solutions, has revealed that 70% of casual workers have indicated that they would be more likely to receive the Covid-19 vaccine if it is recommended by their employer.
The research has also shown that 71% of casual workers think that employers have a right to ask their workers to be vaccinated.
Only 29.6% of these casual staff report working for employers who had said being vaccinated for Covid-19 would be a requirement to secure in the future.
“Given the scale of disruption the pandemic has caused for so many workplaces across Australia, there was a lot of talk even prior to the vaccine arriving in Australia and being rolled out, about whether workplaces would make it mandatory for staff to be vaccinated,” says Founder and Managing Director of Humanforce, Clayton Pyne.
“Many employer groups have publicly advocated for businesses to be able to direct staff towards being vaccinated to help avoid future outbreaks and workplace disruptions, and most casual workers are clearly supportive of this, which is a positive finding for safe workplaces and business continuity in 2021.”
The research also reveals that 67% of casual workers were concerned about their health in the workplace throughout the Covid-19 period, and these concerns are the likely reasons why 64% of workers say they would get the vaccine when available.
Additionally, 24% were will undecided about the vaccine and 12% said they did not intend to get the vaccine.
Interestingly, 79% of casual workers indicated that they would prefer it if their colleagues were vaccinated, which was higher than the number who said they would get the Covid-19 vaccine themselves.
67% of casual workers were also supportive of their employers requiring customers and visitors to the workplace to show they had been vaccinated.
“It’s very apparent that casual workers are concerned about Covid-19 and their health at work, and that they expect their employers to step in and take charge of protecting them and others while in the workplace,” says Mr Pyne.
“That’s why employers must now ensure they are prioritising the fine tuning of their organisation’s position on Covid-19 vaccines.
“Engaging casual workers early on is vital in clearly communicating with them your organisation’s position, as well as expectations of them and others when it comes to the Covid-19 vaccine.
“It’s also important to have the right systems in place to effectively communicate with staff and track staff vaccination information, should it be required by your organisation.”
