5 HR Considerations for Fall Vaccination Planning

Whether your institution is mandating, incentivizing or encouraging vaccinations for employees, HR has a critical role to play in how the plan is communicated and how barriers to getting vaccinated are mitigated.

1. Consider overall campus safety and messaging when communicating which groups will and will not be required to be vaccinated this fall. For example, if students are required to be vaccinated and faculty members are not, be sure to use clear and concise messaging that explains the logic behind this requirement.
2. Use inclusive messaging and images in your communications encouraging vaccination. Ensure your campus community sees themselves in these messages.
3. Remove work-related barriers that prevent individuals from being vaccinated and consider creative approaches to encourage vaccinations.
4. It is possible that not everyone will have ready access to the vaccine. Carefully consider who these groups may be and look for ways to remove this opportunity barrier.
5. The institution plays a role in the wider community regarding vaccination, and the community has a bearing on the institution’s ability to operate. Consider what resources can be leveraged between the community and the institution as well as how providing flexible work options to institutional faculty and staff can have a positive impact on the community.

Here are a few resources you may also find helpful as planning gets underway:

• On-Demand Webinar
  • “COVID-19 Vaccines for Faculty and Staff: What Higher Ed Employers Need to Know” | Sponsored by Cornerstone OnDemand
• Results From a Poll of Higher Education Institutions
  • COVID-19 Vaccination Policies and Incentives
• Sample Policies
  • Non-Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy | Courtesy of Monica Cruz, Director of HR at St. Thomas University
  • Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy | Courtesy of Monica Cruz, Director of HR at St. Thomas University