Majority Of Americans Believe Employees Should Be Required To Wear Masks At Work, Even After Being Vaccinated, Survey Finds

(Source: forbes.com) 

Jun 24, 2021

Tommy Beer, Forbes Staff
Business

TOPLINE 

More than half of U.S. adults (57%) believe masks should be mandated for employees working at on-site locations, even if they have been vaccinated against Covid-19, according to an American Staffing Association survey released Thursday.

KEY FACTS

• Compared to white Americans (50%), both Hispanics (64%) and Blacks (70%) are more likely to feel that face coverings should be required at the workplace.
• Younger adults and parents of children under 18 are also more supportive of mask requirements at on-site locations.
• The survey also discovered that although 66% of Americans believe employees have a right to know if their co-workers have been vaccinated, 60% assert their vaccine status is "no one's business but my own."
• The survey was conducted from June 10–14 by the Harris Poll among 2,066 U.S. adults.

CRUCIAL QUOTE:

"While government officials are rolling back Covid-19 requirements throughout the country, many workers aren't ready to give up their masks just yet," said Richard Wahlquist, president of the American Staffing Association. "As brick-and-mortar workplaces reopen, workers are anxious about being around their colleagues once again. Employers must clearly communicate what steps they are taking to make their workplaces safe for their employees as they reopen."

KEY BACKGROUND:

In mid-May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that fully vaccinated Americans no longer need to wear masks indoors or socially distance in most cases. At a White House briefing explaining the modified recommendations, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, cited a range of studies showing the vaccines are highly effective at stopping the spread of the virus and preventing severe illness. However, Thursday's ASA survey reinforces the findings from a Monmouth University poll released Wednesday, which found 38% of Americans, including 41% of respondents who are already vaccinated, said their masking habits remain largely unchanged despite the updated guidance from the CDC advising it was safe to abandon masks in most places.

TANGENT:

Corporations throughout the U.S. are attempting to figure out how to navigate the obstacles related to employees returning to office spaces. JPMorgan Chase, for instance, is requiring all American workers to log their vaccination status in a software portal by the end of June. Employees who are vaccinated won't need to wear masks or socially distance themselves, however, unvaccinated JPMorgan Chase employees will need to wear a mask and will be subject to Covid testing. "We strongly urge all of our employees to be vaccinated because we think it protects you, your friends and family, your fellow employees, and the community at large," the bank said according to a memo sent late Wednesday, which was signed by CEO Jamie Dimon. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. agency responsible for enforcing workplace discrimination laws, said earlier this month that companies could mandate vaccines as a requirement for coming into the office.

BIG NUMBER:

0.8%. That's the percentage of the Americans killed by the coronavirus last month who were fully vaccinated, according to an Associated Press analysis of available government data.