As Singapore has over 80% of its population vaccinated, research from job site Indeed shows that 82% of workforce and employers agree that vaccination should be made mandatory in the workplace.

The survey was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Indeed among 1000 employees and 251 employers in the technology, banking, finance and enterprise sectors in Singapore.

Both employees and employers also agreed on transparency in the workplace. Nearly 4 out of 5 employers think they should know which of their employees are vaccinated. Employees agree, with 84 per cent believing that their bosses should have visibility of the workforce vaccination rate. Employees also trust their employers, and a high majority of 90 per cent said they would likely get vaccinated if their workplace offered it. 

The strong support for vaccinations indicates a desire to leave behind a pandemic that has taken an economic, physical and emotional toll. More than half of workers surveyed said they had been somewhat affected, while 28 per cent said they had been greatly affected. Only 16 per cent were not significantly affected, and just 4 per cent said they were not affected at all.

Indeed APAC's Florence Yip said the research showed that trust in the workplace encourages employees to get vaccinated, which is a critical tool to help stop the spread of COVID-19. "What we are observing from the research is that there is strong trust among staff towards their employers, who are grateful for the encouragement and incentives offered to motivate vaccination."

Most workers and employers also say that businesses should continue to incentivise vaccination in workplaces. Of the companies surveyed, 64 percent already offer rewards in return for vaccinations, while 40 per cent of those who haven't yet introduced incentives themselves consider it. Some of the incentives offered include cash bonuses, experiences like dinner vouchers, additional training and other non-cash gifts to stimulate vaccination. 

"The data shows how both employers and employees are embracing the public health initiative in Singapore and that encouraging vaccines is in the business's best interests. This makes the workplace safer and eases job roles such as business travel and physical client meetings."