Survey shows MI business leaders support vaccine in workplace but stop short of requirement

A survey of Michigan business leaders shows many support mandatory vaccine mandates in the workplace.  But when it comes to making it a requirement in their own business, they aren’t quite so sure.

That’s the conclusion of a survey by Crain’s Detroit Business, published this week.  A majority of Business owners and managers told Crain’s they believed vaccination was important in keeping their employees and workplaces safer.  However, a third opposed a vaccine requirement.

Of those surveyed, 54.2 percent said they strongly agree or agree that a COVID-19 vaccination should be required to work in a physical office. Roughly 33.7 percent strongly disagree or disagree that a vaccine should be required, with another 12.1 percent neutral on the topic.

Businesses are carefully watching the latest numbers and advice from the CDC and local/regional health authorities.  But the latest surge, this time driven by the more contagious delta variant of the coronavirus, isn’t causing leaders to necessarily change their work plans for now.

Of those surveyed, 68 percent said the delta variant has not altered their company’s return-to-work schedule. The employers are split on where employees are located, with 44.6 percent saying employees are working most or all of the time in the office, 28.3 percent saying they have a hybrid work model and 21.7 percent are working remotely most or all of the time.

Not surprisingly, the respondents are also split on requiring mask wearing for employees, with 48.8 percent not requiring it, 27.1 percent requiring for all employees and 24.1 percent requiring for unvaccinated employees.  Federal, state and local officials have doubled down in recent weeks on the effectiveness of mask wearing and are urging even the vaccinated to wear a mask indoors.