The battle over vaccinations and masks is nothing new anymore, but the issue is coming to a head for U.S. businesses in particular, given the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold a stay on the Biden administration’s workplace vaccine mandate.
Long story short, a federal vaccine mandate here in the U.S. won’t happen anytime soon — if at all — so the ball got proverbially thrown back into the court of companies to make their own policies and decisions.
“We’re back to employers trying to figure out how to do it on their own,” Andria Ryan, partner at Fisher Phillips, told HNN’s Bryan Wroten.
This of course plays out as businesses face ever-present labor shortages and need to balance factors like staffing shifts, public safety and now, increasingly, cancel culture.
All you need to do is search “Carhartt” on Twitter and you’ll see what companies are facing. The Michigan-based work-clothing company upheld its policy for all employees to be vaccinated, and let’s just say the internet went nuts. The tamest tweet I saw was “I’ll never buy your overalls again,” and the tweet I never want to see again but is burned in my brain forever includes a picture of a portly gentleman shoveling snow bare-chested to prove how much he doesn’t need his Carhartts.
Of course, it can take time and be difficult to gauge the real financial impact of social media cancellation campaigns on companies. How do you balance out the revenue lost from people who cancel your products against the revenue gained from consumers who choose your products because they support your stance?
Starbucks last week went the other direction, reversing its vaccine mandate for employees. Some other high-profile companies also are holding firm or pulling back. General Electric Co. suspended its vax mandate. Citigroup Inc. is holding on to its vax requirement.
Where do hotel companies fall in this? That’s what I’m curious about, and it’s tough to find answers. Many large corporations, including hotel companies, are keeping quiet about their plans.
My team is in Los Angeles this week for the Americas Lodging Investment Summit, and we’re asking brand and management company executives whether they have vax policies in place. Jury’s still out on how much people will share.
I’m genuinely curious about how large companies weigh all the competing factors that surround something like a vaccine mandate. Will a mandate turn off more people than it attracts, during a time when labor is so tough to come by? If we publicly declare one way or another, will we be roasted on social media and lose guests? If we don’t have a vaccine requirement and 60% of our labor force is out sick, how do we manage? What are our competitors doing — does a mandate move the needle when it comes to people choosing my company over theirs? Is it enough or too much if our local jurisdiction is requiring vaccine test proof?
The questions are endless, and it’s time for tough decisions.
I’m very interested to hear what hotel executives say on the topic, if they talk about it. Insight into the factors and decision-making process are so valuable to the collective industry.
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