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Summary
- A survey by BCC finds only 5% of firms have so far implemented vaccination proof requirement.
- Nearly 69% said they have no plans to put in place a vaccination proof requirement.
- 76% of firms said they expect social distancing to stay in the coming 12 months.
Till now, only 5 per cent of firms have implemented vaccination proof requirement, a survey by the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) of more than 1,000 businesses in the UK showed. Most importantly, 78 per cent of respondents said they do not plan to ask for vaccination proof from employees, suppliers, and customers. However, 6 per cent said they are likely to have such a provision in the future, while 11 per cent said they would need more information.
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The survey found that businesses that employed over 50 staff would be more likely to consider implementing vaccine proof requirements or have already put in place one than compared to smaller firms. Nearly 69 per cent said they still did not have any such plans. About 4 per cent of the smaller firms said they have already mandated proof of vaccination and 6 per cent said they would consider this in future.
Hand sanitising and social distancing norms can be expected to continue for the next 12 months. About 76 per cent would most likely continue with social distancing in the next year, while 54 per cent said the same about masking up.
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For businesses that hire over 50 staff, those that have already implemented vaccination requirement proof increased from 9 per cent, 8 per cent said they would likely mandate it in future and 13 per cent said they needed more information. But an overwhelming 69 per cent said they had no plans to mandate vaccination proof from suppliers, customers, or employees.
Disruption in workplace is expected to continue. About 46 per cent expect further changes in workplaces, like the arrangement of socially distant desks and screens, and 45 per cent said they would restrict entry to their offices.
Hannah Essex, co-executive director of BCC, said that the survey figures showed that the majority of the businesses have no plan in place for vaccination proof, and so if the government plans to make this mandatory, they must inform businesses in the earliest so that they get enough time to prepare and adjust.
On a question on which Covid-19 measures businesses expected to continue within the coming 12 months, 76 per cent said social distancing. About 61 per cent said they expected availability of hand sanitiser, and 54 per cent said covering of faces would continue as part of the measures. Only 9 per cent said they did not expect any measures in place for the next 12 months.
