- New York Times analysis of recent surveys looks at business and employee plans for short-term and post-pandemic strategies
- Majority of businesses considering vaccine mandates and reducing business travel
- A significant share of employees is considering whether to change jobs in the next six months
Summary by Dirk Langeveld
With the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant upending companies’ plans to return workers to the office, employers are increasingly looking to introduce vaccine mandates. In an analysis of back-to-office trends identified by recent surveys, the New York Times also found that workers were more concerned about contracting COVID-19 in the office while the vast majority of companies were planning to cut spending on business travel.
Key findings included:
- A survey of 1,000 companies employing nearly 10 million workers found that 52 percent were planning to introduce vaccine mandates by the end of the year, though just 21 percent had already done so
- The same survey found that nearly four out of five employers were planning to track employees’ vaccination status, with almost one in five considering health insurance rewards or surcharges to encourage vaccination
- A survey of 2,400 employees found that 42 percent were worried about contracting COVID-19 at work, up from 24 percent in June
- 29 percent of workers said they’re uncertain if they’ll stay with their current employer for the next six months, with four out of five saying their employer’s stance on remote work is playing an important part in that decision
- A survey of 45 larger businesses finds that 84 percent of them plan to spend less money on business travel after the pandemic
