Philadelphia-based Wharton School professor Nancy Rothbard, PhD, told CNBC that companies should encourage employees to get the COVID-19 vaccines through incentives instead of forcing them through mandates.
“There’s a lot of challenges with mandating employees to do anything,” Dr. Rothbard said. “Any boss will tell you, it’s a lot more about persuasion than telling.”
Companies like Target are offering hourly employees two hours of pay for each vaccine dose and are providing employees assistance in paying for Lyft rides for appointments. Tractor Supply is providing employees with a one-time cash payment to encourage them to get the vaccine.
“I have a paper that’s called ‘Mandatory Fun,'” Dr. Rothbard said. “People do not even like having mandatory fun imposed on them if they’re not feeling that is legitimate in the workplace. People don’t react well to mandates. They react better to incentives and to encouragement.”
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