Utah businesses encouraged to offer incentives for employees to get shots

In a recent COVID-19 update news conference, Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson challenged businesses to begin encouraging their employees to get vaccinated for the virus and to provide incentives for those who do.

During the press briefing, Henderson warned that that if people continue waiting to get vaccinated, the state is at risk of regressing back to pandemic levels as severe as last year. She said it may be tough for Utah to reach its goal of having 70 percent of Utah adults have at least their first dose of the vaccine by July 4.

“It’s time for businesses to start offering incentives to their employees,” Henderson said.

Incentives could include providing paid time off to employees who need to recover from the side effects of the vaccine, Henderson said. Businesses could also provide cash incentives, she said.

Henderson suggested that businesses request to host pop-up vaccine clinics at their workplace to provide employees with access to the vaccine. She said there is no minimum number of employees a business has to have in order to request a clinic.

Information about requesting events is available at coronavirus.utah.gov/vaccine-event-request.

Henderson reported that almost 90 percent of all Utahns ages 65 and older have received at least a first dose of the vaccine and that about 20 percent of kids have at least a first dose.

She reminded people that the COVID-19 vaccines don’t alter DNA, affect fertility or give you COVID-19. People who have other questions or concerns about getting the vaccine should meet with their doctors, Henderson said.