Most workers support COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates

Globally, most workers support COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates, according to a survey conducted by World Economic Forum, based on 14,401 respondents from 33 countries.

The countries where workers were most supportive of workplace vaccinations were found to be those who were most likely to say that they would receive vaccinations to keep their jobs.

Four in five workers in Singapore, China and South Korea said they would get vaccinated to keep their jobs, while the proportion falls to 68% — representing two-thirds of workers — for workers globally, on average. 

The proportion falls to only 12% for workers who prefer frequent testing.  Among the surveyed countries, China comes in top on workers supporting a vaccine mandate, followed by Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and India. 

“Staying the course with safety measures that we know make a difference – vaccines, masks, testing – is incredibly important as we navigate this complex pandemic,” said Genya Dana, Head of Health and Healthcare, World Economic Forum.

In China, 12% of workers say that they would be comfortable going to work if no protective mandates were in place, 18% said they would quit their jobs in such an event, while 48% say they would work remotely. 

In the absence of protective measures, countries where at least 40% of workers would either resign or work remotely in the absence of protective measures include Malaysia, Spain, South Korea, Japan, and Peru.