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.”
More articles on leadership and management:
5 must-reads for healthcare leaders this week
5 ways adding women to the C-suite can improve your hospital
Fauci warns of possible COVID-19 surge as cases hover at ‘disturbingly high level’
At Becker's 4th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable, taking place November 2–5 in Chicago, more than 1,500 hospital and health system executives tackle decisions that determine whether organizations thrive or merely survive: protecting margins under cost pressure, choosing where to grow, renegotiating payer relationships, stabilizing the workforce and proving real ROI on technology. This is where leaders work through them together, face-to-face. Apply for complimentary registration now.
