| U.S. businesses are no longer just thinking about getting workers back to the office; they're actually preparing how they'll do it. And for some workplaces, that might include mandatory vaccinations. An April survey by Arizona State University and the Rockefeller Foundation found that 44% of companies in North America would require vaccinations for workers, while nearly a third said they planned to encourage shots but wouldn't mandate them. The logic appears simple. A floor full of vaccinated colleagues sounds safer than the alternative. But very few companies have actually implemented such a policy, underscoring their deep reservations. U.S. authorities clarified that employers generally can require Covid-19 vaccinations, with certain exemptions. Yet companies are reluctant to do so after coming to grips with how controversial and disruptive a mandate could be, whether because of politics, legal issues or the risk of losing workers, says Jeff Levin-Scherz, population health leader at consulting firm Willis Towers Watson. "There are many employers that would like to mandate but in fact would like to not be the first movers on this," he says.  A Toyota plant in Buffalo, West Virginia, offers vaccines to employees and their dependents. Photographer: Stephen Zenner/Getty Images North America Some companies are staking out a middle ground: allowing vaccinated workers to be some of the first who can return to the office on a voluntary basis. Salesforce.com plans a May reopening of its headquarters in San Francisco, inviting vaccinated workers to volunteer for groups of no more than 100 employees who will work on specific floors. Testing will be required twice a week and "Covid health officers" will ensure that safety protocols are being followed, the company said in a blog post. Whirlpool plans to allow employees who've had their shots back to the office in its home state of Michigan over the summer as local conditions and rules allow. They'll join factory workers and others who weren't able do their jobs from home. The home-appliance maker, which has about 27,000 U.S. workers, began offering a $200 incentive for vaccination. Other companies plan to provide shots on site. CVS is working with more than a dozen employers, including Delta Air Lines, to inoculate their workforces. According to the Arizona State survey, some 65% of companies in North America planned to offer vaccine incentives, and 87% were willing to inoculate workers on site, a sign that they clearly view vaccines as the key to getting back to business. "Comfort with vaccines among employers is increasing all the time," says Mara Aspinall, a professor at ASU's College of Health Solutions and co-leader of the survey project. "They're using all the tools available to get employees back to the workplace in as safe and sustainable a way as possible."—Ryan Beene | 
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