As COVID-19 vaccines in Seattle gain momentum, the road ahead remains challenging for employers. Eagle Hill Consulting research finds that Seattle employees have mixed views on workplace issues including workplace re-openings, COVID-19 vaccination proof, and what to do about unvaccinated employees. The Seattle employee sentiment is substantially different than national polling, with higher support among Seattleites for vaccine mandates and proof before returning to work.
Our state’s public health officials have made tremendous strides getting Washingtonians vaccinated, which is enabling economic and business recovery, but Seattle employees have concerns and differing views on a range of COVID-19 issues, and this creates a complex situation for employers to navigate. Given that Seattle employees have differing views on these important COVID-19 issues, it is critical that employers keep the lines of communication open with employees.
– Carrie Miceli, Technology, Media, & Entertainment Industry Lead
Seattle employees have substantially different views than their national counterparts on employer COVID-19 vaccination response
Nearly two-thirds of Seattle workers say employers should require proof of vaccination.
say employers should require vaccination proof
Many Seattle workers think employers should require employee vaccination.
say their employers should require employee vaccination
More than half of Seattle workers want employers to provide incentives to encourage vaccination.
want their employers to provide incentives to encourage vaccination
Seattle workers anticipate that their workplace will be different when they return
When asked about the disruption of COVID-19 on the workplace, Seattle workers expect:
55%
number of people working from home at any give time will be different
52%
physical workplace will be different
48%
people will be working further apart
Seattle workers are split on how to manage unvaccinated employees
When asked about the disruption of COVID-19 on the workplace, Seattle workers say:
80%
say unvaccinated employees should be able to stay with their employer
50%
unvaccinated employees should not be given special allowances to work from home
48%
unvaccinated employees should not be allowed to work in-person with co-workers
Seattle employees want their employers to play an active role in workplace safety
When asked about the role employers should play with COVID-19 precautions now that vaccines are widely available, there was broad support for employer involvement. Seattle employees think their employers should encourage or require employees to:
89%
Social distance
87%
Wear masks
82%
Have their
temperature checked
71%
Wear personal
protective equipment
71%
Receive regular
COVID-19 testing
The 2021 Eagle Hill Consulting Seattle COVID-19 Vaccines and the Workplace Survey measures employee sentiment about COVID-19 vaccines, returning to the workplace, as well as testing and safety protocols. Conducted by Ipsos from April 7-9, 2021, this national survey includes 523 respondents from a random sample of employees in Seattle.
