Nearly six in 10 U.S. adults (57%) believe employees should be required to wear a mask when working at an on-site work location, even after being vaccinated for Covid-19, according to results from the latest ASA Workforce Monitor® online survey conducted from June 10–14 by The Harris Poll among 2,066 U.S. adults aged 18 and older.
“While government officials are rolling back Covid-19 requirements throughout the country, many workers aren’t ready to give up their masks just yet,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. “As brick-and-mortar workplaces reopen, workers are anxious about being around their colleagues once again. Employers must clearly communicate what steps they are taking to make their workplaces safe for their employees as they reopen.”
The Workforce Monitor also uncovered a tension between the right to know about co-workers’ vaccine status and the right to privacy about one’s own status. “As work sites reopen across the country, employee concerns about Covid-19 are creating a challenging privacy paradox,” said Wahlquist. “Employees want to know whether their fellow co-workers have been vaccinated but don’t want to make their own status public. In balancing these interests, employers must keep workplace safety considerations top of mind.”
