Driving Towards Vaccination

Driving toward vaccination a part of a carrier’s wellness program

By Wendy King and Lynn Bolduc

As the U.S. vaccine rollout accelerates, freight carriers are pushing to get their workforce better access to vaccinations and working to integrate the COVID-19 vaccine into their corporate wellness strategy. America’s 3.5 million truckers are on the front lines in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic since drivers, parcel carriers and dockworkers are crucial to keeping the economy running. Yet drivers remain part of the national debate over who should get priority for the shots; teachers, public-transit workers and other essential workers jockey for a place in vaccination lines defined by national and regional priorities. While transport and logistics workers are considered essential under federal recommendations for prioritizing vaccine access, many jurisdictions have yet to make truck drivers eligible, due to the phased release of the vaccine. Over-the-road truckers face other hurdles as eligibility broadens. States receive doses based on their population, and some require people to live or work in a state to get vaccinated there. Shots are largely administered by local jurisdictions, but truckers don’t easily fit into operations rooted in particular places and times. American Trucking Associations has urged the CDC to prioritize vaccine access for truck drivers, and National Association of Truckstop Operators, a national trade group for the travel plaza and truck-stop industry, wants to set up vaccination centers at truck stops. While that plays out, integrating the COVID-19 vaccine into a corporate wellness strategy can be a great way to increase engagement and boost vaccination uptake.

Tying vaccinations to wellness programs

A number of notable national employers have grabbed headlines for offering their workers cash, paid time off and gift cards for getting vaccinated. Despite some legal uncertainty around incentives for workplace wellness initiatives, as the efficacy of the drugs continues to be proven in the millions of Americans vaccinated, the trend to incentivize will continue to grow. Incentivizing for vaccines is not a new concept in the world of corporate wellness. Flu vaccinations have been part of wellness strategies for years. Keep in mind though, that incentives for wellness programs are not without their complexities

What kinds of incentives are permissible?

Much like a flu vaccination program, the guidelines for adding the COVID vaccination to a wellness program mean compliance with applicable federal, state or local laws. The delays from some fleet carriers in structuring a COVID vaccination strategy are caused by the lack of guidance on incentive limits from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC’s longawaited proposed rules regarding wellness programs were released in January 2021, but then put on hold pending review by the new administration, prompting a consortium of 40 business groups in February to urge the EEOC for guidance. Until clear guidance on incentives limits is published by the EEOC, proceed with care and talk to your legal advisors. Risk levels associated with incentivizing the COVID vaccine will depend on a number of factors including the amount of the incentive being offered, who administers the vaccine and your protocols for

accommodating employees who cannot be vaccinated for medical or religious reasons. Human resources offices would assume the least risk by simply educating around vaccine safety and availability. Other lower risk strategies might include granting a set amount of paid time off to get the vaccination itself and making that benefit available to all employees. In this scenario, there is no tracking of who got the vaccination and no penalties for not receiving it. Another lowerrisk path would be to offer modest incentives, like a water bottle or t-shirt, for those who vaccinated. This puts no undue pressure on an employee to participate. Keep in mind, the greater the value of the incentive rewarded for getting a vaccine, the greater the risk for the employer. This is because the higher the financial value, the greater chance your program could be viewed as unnecessarily coercive, making an employee feel like participating was not voluntary. And this would be a violation of the wellness program rules.

Address employee concerns

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, driver pay is way up and companies are paying attention to more driver issues, implementing wellness programs and enhancing training and communication. It’s critical for company leaders to set the tone by visibly getting their own vaccines, as well as helping drivers navigate available resources. You can set employee expectations and calm fears. Consider the mental well-being of workers while vaccination plans proceed. As a society, we are dealing with a mental health crisis as a function of the coronavirus pandemic and its fallout. While education around it may allay fears, HR should also see this as an opportunity to remind employees of the mental health resources available to them under their health plans, or through their Employee Assistance Programs. Wellness programs that incorporate COVID vaccine initiatives can be an important step forward for organizations who use a combination of strategies: a strong education campaign, promoting available health resources, improving access to vaccinations where possible and motivating employees to get the vaccination through a fully vetted incentive program. Lynn Bolduc is an Insurance Specialist for Hub International Transportation, a division of Hub International Limited. Wendy King is the Director of Health and Performance for Hub International and a leader in the field of healthcare communications and corporate wellness strategy. Hub International is a member of FTA.

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