Multilingual resource will support employer efforts to increase vaccinations and keep workers safe in an equitable way

BOSTON – Today the Vaccine Equity Now! Coalition (VEN) is releasing a set of equity principles for workplace COVID-19 vaccine policies and safety practices. The resource is intended to guide employers through the process of implementing policies that will increase COVID-19 vaccinations, limit the spread of the virus and promote employee health and wellbeing, while taking into consideration the significant racial and social inequities that have been perpetuated by the pandemic and Massachusetts’s vaccine rollout.

“There is no doubt that widespread COVID-19 vaccination is our best tool to combat the spread of the virus, and workplace policies requiring employees to be vaccinated have been effective in increasing uptake,” said Dr. Atyia Martin, Co-Chair of the Vaccine Equity Now! Coalition. “However, employers must take a thoughtful, collaborative approach to these policies that considers the racial and social inequities that existed long before the pandemic, have been exacerbated by the pandemic and have played out in the state’s vaccination program. We hope that this resource will help employers center equity in the development and implementation of these policies in a way that supports the health and wellbeing of everyone in the community.”

The guide emphasizes that employers have a key role to play in supporting health education and partnering with trusted messengers to get employees and their families vaccinated. It outlines strategies that employers could adopt to implement comprehensive workplace policies that are informed by significant employee engagement and promote their health and wealth. Some suggested strategies include hosting on-site vaccination clinics and testing that can be conducted on paid time, partnering with trusted community organizations to host on-site educational events, implementing comprehensive COVID-19 mitigation and prevention measures and offering a broad paid sick leave policy.

Read the full release.

Equity Principles for Workplace COVID Vaccine Policies and Safety Practices: English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole.