11.03.2021

Over half of UK employees think workers should be required to take a COVID-19 vaccine before being allowed back to Work

With some employers making COVID-19 vaccines mandatory, only 56% of employees think that staff should be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to the office, according to a survey* of 2,000 UK employees by Glassdoor, a worldwide leader on insights about jobs and companies.

The survey found strong support for employers incentivising employees to take the vaccination, with 39% of respondents agreeing that companies should offer financial incentives such as a cash bonus. Only 12% of those surveyed said they do not intend to take a COVID-19 vaccine, yet of this group, one in four revealed they would be more likely to take a vaccine if their employer incentivised them to do so.

In terms of restrictions in the office, more than two in three (68%) employees believe that social distancing and wearing masks should remain compulsory until everyone in the office has been vaccinated. Fourteen per cent of employees even say they would quit if they were required to return to the office before all staff have been vaccinated. One quarter (25%) of respondents agree that they are under pressure from their company to return to the office as soon as they have been vaccinated, yet 40% of employees say their employer has not yet communicated a clear plan to staff with regards to the timing and policies for returning to the office.

“The UK government has made it clear that it is a business decision whether the COVID-19 vaccine is mandatory for all staff. With the majority of employees appearing to want standard precautions such as social distancing to remain until all employees have been vaccinated, employers should be working on their office re-entry plan”, said Carina Cortez, Chief People Officer at Glassdoor. “It seems UK employees are unwilling to be rushed back into the office, so we recommend each employer must take into account employee feedback to determine what is best for their workforce, including a policy on whether vaccinations will be compulsory. This is an incredibly sensitive area but the bigger opportunity here is to define what office life will be like, both this year and in the long term.”

How Often Will People Come to the Office?

More than one in 10 (13%) employees say they do not currently have an office and 4% say they will not be returning to an office. Of those who work full time, only 9% say they would choose to return to the office five days per week. The majority of full-time employees would prefer to return to the office between 2-3 days per week.

Fifteen per cent of employees surveyed say they would consider quitting if they were required to return to the office 5 days per week.

Is Work More Flexible?

UK employees do not believe their employers have been especially forthcoming when it comes to making work more flexible: Over one third (37%) of employees report that their employer has offered them the ability to work from home over the past year, but it remains to be seen if this option will remain in place once the national lockdown is lifted. Three in 10 (29%) employees say they have been offered more flexible working hours. However, only 18% of those surveyed say that their company has offered them resources to set up a home office, such as a cash bonus for office furniture or supplies and only 14% have been offered more paid holiday time. Relocation does not seem like a viable option for many UK employees, with only 16% saying they would consider relocating while remaining to work for their current employer.

Glassdoor Now Welcomes its Employees to Work Where They Want

As a leading technology company and global employer, Glassdoor recently introduced its Work Where You Want policy, giving employees more flexibility going forward and allowing employees to choose where they want to work. This can include working remotely, from an office or both. An internal Glassdoor survey revealed 70% of Glassdoor employees prefer a hybrid remote-office work arrangement post-COVID-19. In Glassdoor’s Workplace Trends 2021 report, Glassdoor’s Chief Economist explains why and how office life will return, but will never be the same.

*Survey of 2,000 UK employees conducted by Censuswide, on behalf of Glassdoor, between 12 - 15 February 2021.

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