The CEO of the National Manufacturers Association told CNBC on Thursday that he believes corporate mandates for Covid vaccinations are an important policy move, even if it results in some employees leaving at a time when hiring employees can be challenging.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen in most cases. It’s a consideration, and let’s face it: we have a very severe labor shortage in our country right now,” said Jay Timmons, who led the country’s largest manufacturing group for a decade, said in an interview about “Squawk on the Street”.
“We are now competing for workers in all sectors, but in the end it is better to have living workers than sick or dead. So I think all employers will deal with this, ”added Timmons.
Washington-based NAM demanded in July that all of its 150 or so employees must be vaccinated against Covid by September 20, with exceptions for religious or medical reasons.
Timmons described the decision as one that focused on workplace safety. About 94% of the organization’s staff were given a Covid vaccine before the mandate was announced, he said, and now 100% are vaccinated.
“I’m excited because our team not only takes care of themselves and their families, but also the people we interact with every day, our 14,000 member manufacturers across the country. It’s the responsible thing to do, ”said Timmons.
None of the company’s employees faced management with a strong rejection of vaccines, Timmons said. “I hate to say it, but we were ready” to let go of anyone who, without valid exception, refused to take the picture, he added. “We didn’t have that problem.”
The number of companies, government agencies, and organizations that have put stringent coronavirus vaccine guidelines in place has accelerated in recent weeks as government and corporate leaders alike try to convince hesitant Americans to get the life-saving shots. The Food and Drug Administration’s decision on Monday to fully approve the Pfizer BioNTech Covid shot was seen as crucial protection for more management teams to issue mandates.
This vaccine, along with those from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, was originally given to Americans with an emergency license. Moderna and J & J’s recordings have yet to receive full regulatory approval.
Almost 52% of the US population have been fully vaccinated against Covid, while 61% have received at least one dose, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The number of new daily Covid vaccinations in the country peaked in April on a weekly average before declining significantly in the following months. However, vaccinations have increased in recent weeks as the highly communicable Delta variant spread, causing an increase in infections, hospital admissions, and Covid deaths.
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