KC Area Businesses Hesitant on Vaccine Mandates

Nearly 85 percent of area businesses in a recent survey say they are not instituting vaccine mandates for their employees at this time. Fifteen percent say they are.

The responses came in the latest COVID survey of its members conducted by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce (KC Chamber).

The businesses not requiring vaccinations listed a variety of reasons for their decision: an already-high vaccination rate; fears of losing employees during a time when hiring is difficult; concerns about the legality of a mandate; and insistence that vaccination is a matter of personal choice.

Those companies and organizations who have implemented a vaccine mandate listed the safety of their employees and customers as their reason behind their decision.

Some said they have not yet made a decision about mandating vaccinations but that mandates are under consideration.

Use of vaccination incentives

Nearly 34 percent of those surveyed said their business was offering incentives to their employees to get the shots. Those incentives included: cash payments of between $50 and $2500; extra vacation days; paid time off to get the vaccine and any recovery time; and raffle drawings for items such as parking passes, gift cards, and sports tickets.

Concern about Delta variant and reopening dates

Seven out of every 10 respondents said they were concerned with the surge of the COVID-19 variant, which may have had an impact on their return-to-the-office decisions. While 48 percent said their offices and workplaces were already fully opened, nearly 9 percent said they weren’t reopening until 2022, while another 29 percent said they were still undecided.

Mandating masks

While a majority of those surveyed are not mandating vaccinations, nearly 78 percent are mandating the wearing of masks in the workplace. 22 percent are not.

A total of 184 businesses and organizations from throughout the KC region responded to the survey. They represent nonprofits, large and small businesses, and from a variety of industries.

To see the complete results of the KC Chamber COVID-19 survey, click this link.