Despite Covid-19 vaccines now being administered across the United States, the number of people returning to the workplace has not increased lately. Surveys conducted on the workforces in 10 large cities show that back in October, slightly over 27% of the workforces had returned on site and were no longer working from home. Now in February however, that number has dropped roughly 4%, and is in fact currently following a decreasing trend. There are many complications with returning back to working onsite, the primary one being concern over the health of employees and the inability to ensure their total safety. Employers don't want to be held responsible for premature returns to work and the potential consequences of those returns, thus creating a major atmosphere of uncertainty and hesitancy with regards to a timeline for when to come back. While the statistics currently don't instill much confidence in the amount of people coming back to work in person, a survey done by the National Association for Business Economics showed that roughly 50% of respondents stated that policies for staying at home would be suspended in the second half of 2022, meaning that there most likely will be a much larger increase in people returning to work in person by around the summer.
I currently think that working from home is by far the best option for employees if their businesses allow it, since vaccination has been largely limited to healthcare/frontline workers, and elderly individuals. It really is not yet safe to fully return, and I think that waiting until the vaccine is given to the majority of the population (most likely around summer) is the safest and most responsible plan and timeline for coming back to work. With that being said, there are countless businesses that really require being in person and many smaller private businesses that are struggling immensely during this time, so maybe finding a way for people who own or work in such businesses to receive vaccines slightly earlier in order to be able to open up and resume as best they can is something that should be proposed.
Questions:
1) If you were/are employed, would you feel comfortable returning to work under the current circumstances?
2) Should everyone be required to get the vaccine before physically returning to their jobs?
3) Are there some ways in which people can safely return to work in person despite them and others not being vaccinated?
I would not be comfortable returning to work under the current circumstances because I would be worried about catching the virus there and infecting my parents, who are more at-risk than I am for more serious complications. Like others returning to working in person, I would like to wait until more of the general population is vaccinated, or at least until my parents are.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think that everyone should be required to get the vaccine before physically returning to their jobs because I do feel that that is a bit of an overstretch of authority - I understand why people would want that, as it would ensure greater protection for our communities, but with the vaccine being new and the long-term effects unknown, I find it unfair to force it upon others as a requirement to do something as necessary as working, which helps pay their bills. I’m hoping that enough people will instead voluntarily opt to get the vaccine, which will help us hopefully achieve herd immunity.
You bring up a great point in talking about how returning to work can impact much more than just an individual, but also their family and those around them. For everyone to have a vaccine before returning to work may not be a very timely or realistic goal for the near future, and it's also interesting to think about the line between advice and guidelines, and an overstretch of authority. Hopefully as more and more people are able to return to their normal work settings and receive the vaccine, that systems to ensure safety can improve, and ultimately, once herd immunity is reached and it is safe to do so, that things return to the way they had been before (or if online work had been efficient and beneficial, that maybe some companies and businesses realized that transitioning to online would work better for them).
DeleteLike Lauren, I would not be comfortable returning to work under the current circumstances. If I was employed I probably would not return to working in person if there is an option to work from home unless it was absolutely necessary (though even then I still wouldn't FEEL safe going back in person). It's really better to be safe than sorry, so waiting it out and returning when most people are vaccinated would be ideal.
ReplyDeleteI don't think people should be REQUIRED to get vaccinated before physically returning to their jobs because of a whole bunch of reasons. There are people who are anti-vax and wouldn't want to be vaccinated, some people may not have the means to receive a vaccination but still need to work to survive (and if they can't work from home then...), etc.. It would be great if people could get vaccinated before returning to their jobs for their own safety, but requiring a vaccination is a little much when people still need to work.
You can be safe returning to work in person so long as safety protocols are followed, but is no 100% guaranteed safe way to return to doing most anything in person (plus people love to not follow rules).
If I was employed, I would not feel comfortable returning to work given the current conditions. Right now, the risk of contracting COVID-19 is still pretty high, and with minimal distribution of the vaccine to the larger public, I don’t think that going to work is in people’s best interest. Like Lauren, I wouldn’t want to risk catching COVID-19 at work and spreading it to family. As for implementing a vaccine requirement to return to work in-person, I think it would be okay for some jobs, like ones in healthcare, but I don’t think vaccines should be required for all of them. Personally, I would prefer that people get the vaccine, but I don’t think it should be compulsory. If there were to be a requirement, it would leave us in a difficult situation, where we would likely face issues with discrimination. There may also be people who cannot receive the vaccine due to allergies, health reasons, or because they have religious objections, and this should definitely be taken into consideration. People do need to be able to work.
ReplyDeleteUnder the current circumstances, I would not go back to work yet. Although there will be mask mandates and social distancing, the vaccine hasn't been distributed to the mass majority of Americans yet. Obviously, if I was a health care worker and I and others around me had the vaccine, I wouldn't have a choice to stay at home. But, in agreeance with everyone above, if I have the choice, I probably will not go back in person. Although I think that the vaccine is overall safe, there are many who are cautious of it, so I think in someway, it's unfair to force unwilling people to get the vaccine. There should be a requirement line of how many people in a workplace needs to get the vaccine to reopen. The vaccine not only prevents you from getting seriously ill, but it also helps slow the spread, so it protects those who are unvaccinated. If someone is unvaccinated at work, they themselves should take extra precautions, like double mask wearing, and regular temperature checks.
ReplyDeleteI would not feel comfortable with returning to work yet. Of course there would be precautions that would seriously help with the risk factor but that isn't a 100% guarantee. It also depends on the type of job you have. Teachers have a tough part in all of this because they need to interact with students and gauge their class. Office work could work almost the same at home, in fact more companies are switching to fully digital even after the pandemic. I don't think that it is logistically possible for everyone to get the vaccine, however, that would be the best case scenario. Some ways would be putting up plexiglass, disinfecting every night and obviously wearing masks. Even with all of this being said, there is still a risk and we should not be returning.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't want to go back to work because as you said, most people have not actually been vaccinated, and the vaccine only prevents the person who has it from covid-19. There is probably still a chance that an employee would catch covid-19 and I don't think that risk is worth going back to work for. I believe that making sure things are at least safer than they are now rather than rushing to get back to work would be better, as another breakout would not be good. I think everyone should get vaccinated before returning because as I said, it only protects the person with the vaccine and there's still chances of catching it. Depending on how soon businesses want to go back, safety measures would vary. Masks probably will be required for a while and possibly also temperature checks. Frequent hand washing or sanitizing would help and possibly social distancing as well.
ReplyDeleteI would not feel comfortable going back to work considering the current circumstances. I think that I would want to wait until more people were vaccinated and until the case numbers dropped significantly. If you have the ability to work from home, I don't think that it is worth the risk of exposing yourself by going back to work. I think that the safest and most responsible approach to letting companies bring employees back to the office would be by vaccinating the majority of people. I think that if people were to start returning to work now they would need masks, socially distanced working areas, and hopefully regular COVID testing. I know that people are struggling financially right now, so hopefully, people will be able to get back to work, if they feel comfortable, soon.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that waiting for more people to receive the vaccine before returning to work is the safest, and the most clear/straight forward plan. Like you mentioned as well, if working from home is an option then that should be continued for the time being until vaccines become accessible to the general public. For employees of certain companies who have returned to do onsite work, it may be interesting and greatly beneficial for them to share systems that work and which are safe with other companies looking to bring back employees as well.
DeleteI agree with many others that in order to return back to work, companies and employees have to make sure that they're being as safe as possible. I think that a large number of people will eventually get vaccinated and hopefully that will speed up the process of getting people back to their jobs in-person. In terms of people returning to work when they themselves or others are not vaccinated, I think it would be smart if different departments were treated like sports cohorts are treated (if possible for the company): you can only physically work with people in your department and everyone there has to be held accountable for only going into work if they're following proper safety procedures and have not been knowingly exposed to COVID-19. Hopefully, once the pandemic is over, things can all go back to normal and there will be less stress about returning to the workplace and interacting with people from different households.
ReplyDeleteI agree with others that returning to jobs at this time is scary and unsafe. The vaccine is definitely helpful, but there is still research yet to be done on how long it lasts and transmission. I think that waiting for more people to get the vaccine is the best and safest option, and once there is herd immunity or everyone has been vaccinated is when it will be okay to return in full force. Currently, it is still risky to be at work, inside with lots of people for many hours. Being inside is a lot riskier than being outside, and for now if someone has the option to work from home, it is the best option. Until everyone is vaccinated, there will most likely be hesitancy to go back to work, even once all our vaccinated some may still be unsure. But hopefully once more people receive the vaccine, there will be some return to normalcy in the work place. -Rowan CC
ReplyDelete1. In general at this point I'd probably really want to go back to work to get paid, and get out of the home environment. However it would highly depend on the type of job I have, is it really hands on? does my employer give me crappy healthcare? etc.
ReplyDelete2. I don't think everyone should be required to get a vaccine before returning to work. For one, some people are already back at work without it. Also if someone is low-risk and they want to be better able to make their paycheck, I don't see why they should be held back while they're at the back of the line to get the vaccine.
3. Yes, basic hygienic practices would work wonders. Spraying, cleaning, and constantly sanitizing everything would be a great help. Also simple things like washing hands and wearing a mask. While it's not fullproof it helps, until that vaccine can come in.
In contrast to some of the responses above, I am currently working in-person. Right now I work at ShakeShack and while it was a little frightening at first, I think they have done a pretty good job ensuring everyone’s safety. One of the main reasons I am less hesitant working right now is because I normally work independently, since there is only one person stationed to make milkshakes. That being said, I am rarely in contact with my other co-workers and never interact with customers. As for my concerns, reopening outdoor dining definitely increases risk to exposure which isn’t ideal. Ideally, everyone should be vaccinated before going to jobs. However, given that this vaccination process will take time and not all people have the choice of working remotely, this should not be required but definitely advised when it becomes available.
ReplyDeleteIf I were employed, I would like to think that I would return to work. However, to be honest, I would probably play it safe and keep working from home, at least until I got the vaccine. Still, I do think that there are a lot of people who have jobs where they can't just work from home; these people have had to go outside for months in order to make a living.
ReplyDeleteAt first I was against the idea of mandating that employees get vaccinated, but the more I thought about it, I realized that companies should have the right to determine that for their workers. If a worker chooses not to comply, it makes total sense for the company to be able to fire them.
I don't think there's any 100% safe way to return to work right now, but social distancing and masks can certainly help. I think that the question of whether or not to return is highly dependent on one's age, health conditions, work, and lifestyle. For instance, if I was 60 years old right now, I would probably never step foot outside the house, whereas if I was 25 and living apart from my family, I would have started going outside (to restaurants, gyms, etc) months ago. It's not like there's going to be a real definite "end" to the pandemic, or a day when suddenly we declare it as gone forever. The pandemic will slowly fizzle out over time, and each person needs to make that decision for themselves as to when is the right time to return.
If I were employed, I would still be worried about going back to work. If not everyone is vaccinated, there is still a chance the virus could spread. Many not to someone who already received the vaccine, but if the goal is to competely eliminate COVID-19, then it could still spread. This is why I do believe people should receive the vaccine before returning to work. Of course, this is very hard because so many people would need to get the vaccine and some people have already returned to work without getting the vaccine, but if someone can, they should definitely get the vaccine before going to work. I also think that the safety procautions,like social distancing, wearing masks, etc. should still be followed in the workplace.
ReplyDelete