Acas has published a survey of over 2,000 British businesses which reveals that 59% of employers allow paid time off for Covid-19 vaccination and 50% are paying full company sick pay to staff off sick with Covid-19 vaccine side effects.
25% of businesses said that they had not been giving staff paid time off to get vaccinated and have no plans to do so.
Acas advises employers to consider granting staff paid time off for vaccination appointments and usual sick pay if they are off sick with vaccine side effects. It points out that it is beneficial for businesses to support staff vaccination, as fully vaccinated workers are less likely to need lengthy periods of time off work to recover from Covid-19.
For those employers wanting more guidance on Covid-19 vaccinations, Public Health England has published some useful guidance. It includes an Employers' Communication Toolkit with resources for having conversations with staff including videos and webinars.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.