Some businesses offer rewards
In the current landscape, German companies have primarily encouraged Covid-19 vaccination among their employees through voluntary measures, aligning with government policies. This approach comes as a broad universal vaccine mandate was not implemented, with a partial vaccine mandate applied specifically to health workers in hospitals and related healthcare settings from mid-March 2022[1].
In the health sector, companies have been required to enforce vaccination or recovery policies, in line with legal mandates[1]. Outside of healthcare, companies have generally promoted vaccination by providing information, offering on-site access to vaccines, or incorporating vaccination as part of workplace safety programs, mirroring the government’s approach[1].
A survey of more than 20 large and medium-sized companies in Germany by Handelsblatt revealed various strategies to encourage vaccination. For instance, SAP held vaccination days and raffled six tickets for a TSG Hoffenheim Bundesliga match[1]. Allianz, on the other hand, uses email newsletters to encourage vaccination[1]. Some companies, like Deutsche Börse and Covestro, do not intend to exert pressure on the personal decision-making process regarding vaccination[1].
In some cases, companies have employed unique strategies to encourage vaccination. RWE, for example, uses "vaccination ambassadors" - immunized employees who make video statements to motivate undecided colleagues[1]. Eon aims to reach unvaccinated employees through personal addresses from management and works councils[1]. ThyssenKrupp considers the health of employees a private matter[1].
It is worth noting that there is no indication of widespread mandatory corporate vaccine policies for all employees beyond healthcare. This reflects the German government's rejection of a universal mandate, indicating that companies have largely followed a policy of encouragement rather than compulsion for most sectors[1].
As the company vaccination campaign winds down, Anette Wahl-Wachendorf from the Association of Company Doctors announced that the campaign will end by early September[2]. Despite the end of the campaign, the importance of vaccination in maintaining a safe workplace remains a priority for many German companies.
[1] - [Source] [2] - [Source] [3] - [Source] [4] - [Source]
- In the enterprise sector outside healthcare, businesses are mainly promoting health-and-wellness by providing information, offering on-site vaccinations, or integrating vaccination into their safety programs, resembling the government's approach.
- Some businesses, such as SAP, Allianz, Deutsche Börse, and Covestro, are encouraging health choices via various strategies, yet they do not intend to exert pressure on employees' personal decisions regarding vaccination.
