Joe Biden speaks at a news conference that was held in conjunction with Angela Merkel, German Chancellor, in the East Room. It took place in Washington DC on July 15, 2021. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The White House has unveiled a comprehensive plan to increase vaccination rates in the United States.
Employers who employ 100 or more employees would need to offer paid time off for vaccinations.
Many workers who were not vaccinated expressed concern that they couldn't afford to miss work.
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A new COVID-19 plan by the Biden administration would mandate that employers with more then 100 employees mandate weekly testing or vaccines, in a move that will affect more than 80 million workers.
The plan will also require the same employers to provide paid time off to workers in order to receive the vaccine and to recover from any side effects.
Biden announced last April a tax credit to small businesses that would allow them to pay for the time of their employees to receive treatment and then recover.
The Labor Department's Occupational Health and Safety Administration will develop and enforce the rule "to ensure that no worker is paid less because they are vaccinated."
The Centers for Disease Control states that side effects such as fever, fatigue, headache, nausea and muscle pain can be common in patients following vaccinations. These reactions are more common in mRNA vaccines such as Moderna or Pfizer BioNTech, according to the CDC.
The CDC suggests that employers schedule multiple vaccinations to ensure that adverse reactions are not a problem in a single business or department.
Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a June survey of 1,888 adults and found that nearly two-thirds of those not vaccinated said that they would be more likely get vaccinated if their employer paid them time off.
The Washington Post spoke with Zachary Livingston who owns a Subway in Denver. He said he doesn't have the mental or physical space after working for several months at a time for 60 hours.
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Livingston stated, "By the end of my work day, it's time for me to go to bed."
John Jameson, who is the leader of an advocacy group in Colorado that tries to reach vaccine-hesitant residents, stated that paid time off would make a big difference, especially for low-wage workers.
He said, "There is no doubt that if people were given the chance to take time off work, it would make it easier to get them to the vaccine." "If you are working at minimum wage and worry about missing two days of work, it can be enough to discourage some people from coming to the second shot.
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