Half of Unvaccinated Workers Say They’d Rather Quit Than Get a Shot – But Real-world Data Suggest Few are Following Through

Workers’ Rights

Half of Unvaccinated Workers Say They’d Rather Quit Than Get a Shot – But Real-world Data Suggest Few are Following Through

BY JACK J. BARRY ANN CHRISTIANO ANNIE NEIMAND THE CONVERSATION

Are workplace vaccine mandates prompting some employees to quit rather than get a shot? A hospital in Lowville, New York, for example, had to shut down its maternity ward when dozens of staffers left their jobs rather than get vaccinated. At least 125 employees at Indiana University Health resigned after refusing to take the vaccine. And several surveys have shown that as many as half of unvaccinated workers insist they would leave their jobs if forced to get the shot, which has raised alarms among some that more mandates could lead to an exodus of workers in many industries. But how many will actually follow through?

Strong words

In June 2021, we conducted a nationwide survey, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, that gave us a sample of 1,036 people who mirrored the diverse makeup of the U.S. We plan to publish the survey in October. We asked respondents to tell us what they would do if “vaccines were required” by their employer. We prompted them with several possible actions, and they could check as many as they liked. We found that 16% of employed respondents would quit, start looking for other employment or both if their employer instituted a mandate. Among those who said they were “vaccine hesitant” –almost a quarter of respondents – we found that 48% would quit or look for another job. Other polls have shown similar results. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey put the share of workers who would quit at 50%. Separately, we found in our survey that 63% of all workers said a vaccine mandate would make them feel safer.

Quieter actions

But while it is easy and costfree to tell a pollster you’ll quit your job, actually doing so when it means losing a paycheck you and your family may depend upon is another matter. And based on a sample of companies that already have vaccine mandates in place, the actual number who do resign rather than get the vaccine is much smaller than the survey data suggest. Houston Methodist Hospital, for example, required its 25,000 workers to get a vaccine by June 7. Before the mandate, about 15% of its employees were unvaccinated. By midJune, that percentage had dropped to 3% and hit 2% by late July. A total of 153 workers were fired or resigned, while another 285 were granted medical or religious exemptions and 332 were allowed to defer it. At Jewish Home Family in Rockleigh, New Jersey, only five of its 527 workers quit following its vaccine mandate. Two out of 250 workers left Westminster Village in Bloomington, Illinois, and even in deeply conservative rural Alabama, a state with one of the continued on page 6

Personal Injury /

continued from page 1 and one of the best ways to protect yourself is by hiring an attorney who specializes in this part of the law. Depending on the circumstances it may not be necessary to hire an attorney, and if that is the case you can simply nurse your broken bones and allow your injuries to heal. Even so, there are 10 signs that you should be working with a personal injury attorney, and if you recognize any of them it is time to do your homework and start making some calls.

1. You have missed time from

work. Missing work is inconvenient for your employer, but it is expensive for you. If you have had to take time away from work, a personal injury attorney can help you get the compensation you deserve. 2.Your injuries are serious. If you experienced nothing but a few scrapes and scratches, you may not need a personal injury attorney, but you might want to contact a professional if your injuries are more serious. were injured on the job or in a car accident, disagreements over which party was at fault can get pretty sticky, and you do not want to end up on the wrong side of the accusation. Bringing a personal injury expert in now can preserve your rights and help you avoid unwarranted blame.

4. The insurance company wants you to sign something.

Insurance companies will always try to minimize their liability, and that could mean asking accident victims to sign away their rights. Before you sign anything, you need to contact a personal injury lawyer first.

5.Your job is in jeopardy.

Being the innocent victim of an accident or injury may not protect your employment status, and it is important to contact a personal injury attorney if you think your job might be at risk.

6. You are getting the

runaround. If you keep trying to get satisfaction and fail to get it, you might want to contact a professional to get you the compensation you deserve.

7. You lack sufficient insur-

ance coverage. If you do not have enough insurance coverage in place, the out-of-pocket costs for your injury will add up fast, and you will need help paying for them. Hiring a personal injury attorney now is the best way to protect your rights and get the payment you deserve for your injuries.

8. There are likely to be ongoing costs as a result of your

accident or injury. Even if you do not think you are badly hurt, you could face years of ongoing costs as a result of your injuries and hiring a personal injury attorney now could help you get them paid for. personal injury attorney, and it is important to trust your gut. If you are feeling nervous in the aftermath of your injury, talking to an experienced attorney could set your mind at ease.

Being involved in an accident or suffering an injury is a traumatizing experience, but what happens next could be even worse. If you are not careful, you could unwittingly sign away your rights or interfere with your ability to obtain a fair settlement for the injuries you have suffered. If any of the 10 scenarios outlined above sound familiar, it is time to ASK THE LAWYER. Call 855768-8845 for a FREE consultation. p

Rather Quit/

continued from page 5 lowest vaccine uptake rates, Hanceville Nursing & Rehab Center lost only six of its 260 employees. Delta Airlines didn’t mandate a shot, but in August it did subject unvaccinated workers to a US$200 per month health insurance surcharge. Yet the airline said fewer than 2% of employees have quit over the policy. And at Indiana University Health, the 125 workers who quit are out of 35,800 total employees, or 0.3%.

Making it easy

Past vaccine mandates, such as for the flu, have led to similar outcomes: Few people actually quit their jobs over them. And our research suggests in public communications there are a few things employers can do to minimize the number of workers who quit over the policy. It starts with building trust with employees. Companies should also make it as easy as possible to get vaccinated –such as by providing on-site vaccine drives, paid time off to get the shot and deal with side effects, and support for child care or transportation. Finally, research shows it helps if companies engage trusted messengers including doctors, colleagues and family to share information on the vaccine. In other words, vaccine mandates are unlikely to result in a wave of resignations – but they are likely to lead to a boost in vaccination rates.p

3. There is a dispute over who

was at fault. Whether you

9. You do not have any sav-

ings. Even if you ultimately get a settlement from the insurance company, you will have bills to pay in the meantime, and that could mean dipping into your savings. If there are no savings to dip into you will want to contact a personal injury lawyer sooner rather than later.

10.You are feeling nervous. Sometimes you do not need a specific reason to contact a

Jack J. Barry is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Public Interest Communications, University of Florida. Ann Christiano is a Director, Center for Public Interest Communications, University of Florida. Annie Neimand is a Research Director and Digital Strategist for frank, College of Journalism and Communications, University of Florida