Small Business Guide to COVID-19 Vaccines
Summary
A Small Business Guide on strengthening workplace vaccination and safety in response to the Delta variant, updated November 18, 2021, published by the SBA with COVID 19 content donated by the Health Action Alliance. The guide states that SBA's acceptance of the gift does not constitute an endorsement of the views, products or services of the donor, and that opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily the views of the SBA. Its introduction is addressed to small business owners.
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Small Business Guide
Strengthening Workplace Vaccination & Safety in Response to
the Delta Variant
UPDATED November 18, 2021
The SBA would like to thank the Health Action Alliance for
the generous donation of this valuable COVID 19 content.
SBA’s acceptance of this Gift does not constitute an endorsement of the views, opinions, products
or services of the donor or any other person or entity. As public health information is constantly
evolving, we are committed to regularly updating our materials. All opinions, conclusions, and/or
recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of
the SBA. This Guide contains links to third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the
reader, user, or browser; we do not recommend or endorse the contents of the third-party sites.
Introduction
As a small business owner, you’ve shouldered a disproportionate economic burden during the
pandemic. Getting back to life—back to seeing our loved ones, back to school, and back to
business—requires that we turn the tide against COVID-19. Vaccines offer hope and protection
that can help our country and our economy rebuild and recover.
We’re on our way, but significant challenges remain, including the emergence of a highly
transmissible Delta variant that’s driving a new wave of infections across the country. Public
health officials warn that we must encourage many more Americans to get vaccinated,
including more than 80 million people in the United States who are currently eligible for
vaccines but remain unvaccinated and at real risk.
On November 4, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued
emergency COVID-19 rules for roughly 116,000 private businesses with 100 or more employees
firm or company-wide, a sweeping new measure that's designed to protect 84 million workers
on the job. Those rules—currently on hold, pending a legal challenge in federal court—require
businesses to prove that they are requiring vaccination or weekly testing for COVID-19 by
January 4, 2022, with exceptions only for people with a medical disability or religious
accommodation. Beginning December 6, 2021, employers will also be required to offer workers
paid time off for vaccination and recovery from possible side effects, as well as require
unvaccinated workers to wear face coverings at the workplace.
Even while OSHA is blocked from implementing its rules—and even if those rules don’t apply
to your business—employers are encouraged to take action to provide the safest possible
workplace for their employees and customers.
This guide is designed to help you:
1. Communicate with employees, workers and customers about the safety and
benefits of COVID-19 vaccines and reinforce the importance of masking and other
safety measures to prevent the spread.
2. Make a plan to require or encourage your workers to get vaccinated at their
earliest opportunity. This could include offering paid time off, transportation
credits, childcare or small incentives to workers who choose to get vaccinated.
3. Strengthen vaccination efforts in your community by offering help to public health
departments, nonprofit organizations and others involved in the vaccine response.
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This guide includes:
• Tips and tools for small business owners
• Easy-to-use resources
• Action steps to get started
Communicate About Vaccines
As a small business owner, the most important thing you can do to help turn the tide against
COVID-19 is communicate with your employees, workers and customers about the benefits and
safety of COVID-19 vaccines.
Key Vaccine Messages
It’s important to use trusted, fact-based messages from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and other public health partners. Here are some messages you can consider:
• COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
There are multiple COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorized by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means the clinical evidence for the
vaccines has met the agency's rigorous scientific standards and they are
considered to be safe and effective. Vaccines teach your immune system how
to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19.
• COVID-19 vaccines can help us get back to the things we love.
We all want to get back to our lives. Vaccinations can help us get back too many
of the things we miss most, like spending time with loved ones and friends,
traveling and going to events. They’ll help keep you from getting COVID-19,
reduce hospitalizations and save lives.
• Get vaccinated at your earliest opportunity.
Everyone ages 5 and older is now eligible to receive free COVID-19 vaccines,
regardless of immigration status. You don’t need health insurance to get a free
vaccine.
• COVID-19 vaccines provide hope, but we need to continue following public
health guidelines to prevent the spread.
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In response to the Delta variant, CDC now recommends that everyone
(including fully vaccinated individuals) should wear a mask in public indoor
settings in areas with substantial or high COVID-19 transmission. Many
counties across the U.S. are experiencing either “substantial” or “high”
transmission rates that call for indoor mask-wearing, according to CDC.
• It is okay to have questions about vaccines.
We want to make sure you have access to trusted information in order to make
decisions about vaccines for yourself and your family. If you have questions
about whether vaccines are right for you, talk to your doctor or healthcare
provider.
Options for Small Businesses
As a small business owner, you have lots of ways to communicate with your employees and
customers. Here are some strategies you might consider:
• Send an email or home mailer sharing facts about COVID-19 vaccines.
• Organize a staff meeting, one-on-one, or small-group discussions to share
facts from trusted sources and to hear concerns. A Conversation Guide is
available to help you engage your employees and workers.
• Use your company newsletter or social media channels to share trusted
information about vaccines. Here’s sample newsletter content and social
media tools from the CDC to help guide your outreach.
• Invite vaccinated employees and workers to share their positive vaccine
experience during a staff meeting or via a company newsletter or email.
• Post workplace flyers or utilize in-store radio announcements and PSAs to
reinforce the safety and benefits of COVID-19 vaccines.
• Invite a local physician or other public health expert to speak with your employees
and workers about vaccines.
• Lead by example. Make sure you get vaccinated and let your employees and
workers know you did so. Create a safer work environment for your workers and
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customers by requiring everyone to wear masks in public indoor settings in areas
of substantial or high transmission of COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status.
Supporting Employees with Additional Questions
People who are unvaccinated may have additional questions or need extra support before
making their decision about vaccines.
Here are some ways you can help:
• Acknowledge that it’s ok to have questions. As an employer, your role is to
make sure your workers feel supported. Don’t try to “convince” employees or
“change their mind” about vaccines. Instead, offer trusted information and
encourage employees to speak with their doctor or healthcare provider.
• Understand that some groups may have unique experiences and
concerns. Black, Hispanic, Asian-American, American Indian, and Alaska
Native communities have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and
have experienced higher rates of hospitalization, severe illness, and death.
• Lead with empathy. If you’re not a member of a disproportionately impacted
group, it’s helpful to learn more about why these inequities exist and how they
might contribute to additional questions about vaccines. You can support
employees by acknowledging the deep historical traumas and structural
inequalities that lead to poorer health outcomes and contribute to greater
mistrust.
• Create a safe, supportive workplace culture. As a small business owner, you
can cultivate an environment where all workers feel supported by listening
without judgment and creating space for questions. Understand that no
community shares all of the same beliefs, perceptions, and concerns. Every
individual is unique, and every employee deserves to have their questions
answered before deciding about vaccines.
• Identify local groups or resources who can help. Many nonprofit
organizations, public health departments, churches, cities, and states are
hosting events and launching initiatives to educate and engage diverse
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communities about vaccines. These offer great opportunities to connect your
employees to events and initiatives that reflect their unique needs.
Three Steps to Getting Started
It’s important to begin communicating about vaccines now. Here are three things you can do
right away:
1. Share with your employees the reasons why COVID-19 vaccines are important to you.
Be honest, open, and authentic. Lead by example and share about your positive
vaccine experience.
2. Communicate your intention to create a workplace environment where all
employees feel supported. Create an “open door” policy that invites workers to share
questions and ask for help getting the information they need to decide about
vaccines.
3. Provide information about where vaccines are available in your community. Search
vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations
near you. Remind workers that vaccines are free and available to everyone in the
United States ages 12 and older, regardless of immigration status. You don’t need
health insurance to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Encourage or Require Vaccination
A fully vaccinated workforce creates the safest possible workplace environment for
employees and customers. It may also be the most equitable policy, especially if the
alternative is regular testing, paid for by your workers.
Many small businesses have announced policies to require vaccinations for all or part of their
workforce, adding to the millions of federal workers now required to show proof of
vaccination. Businesses with over 100 workers will soon be obligated to require vaccination
or weekly testing from employees.
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If a vaccination requirement is not an option for your small business, we recommend these steps:
● Routine Testing: Require all workers and regular visitors (not retail customers) to
be routinely screened with a rapid test, at least weekly. Repeated negative tests
provide a high degree of certainty that the individual is not infectious. Beginning
January 4, 2022, testing at least weekly is required for employers of 100 or more
workers who do not have a COVID-19 vaccination requirement.
● Proof of Vaccination: Allow anyone who provides proof of full vaccination
(accounting for the appropriate time period after the final vaccine) to bypass the
routine testing requirement.
● Support Workers: Employers are encouraged to provide paid time off for
vaccinations and recovery from possible side effects—which is required for
employers of 100 or more workers beginning December 6, 2021. Businesses should
extend this support to working parents who choose to vaccinate eligible children,
too. Consider organizing on-site vaccination clinics for workers and families, or
offering transportation support, childcare or incentives to improve access to
vaccines.
● Mask Use: Require masks for all employees and customers, regardless of
vaccination status, in areas with substantial or high transmission.
Additional Ways to Support Workers
Research has shown that there are additional ways small businesses can support or
incentivize workers to get vaccinated. Small businesses may not be able to afford all, or even
some, of these proposed actions. These are intended to provide examples of ways you might
consider supporting employees and workers, to the extent you are able.
● Cover out-of-pocket expenses associated with vaccination. This could include
offering an Uber or Lyft gift card for transportation, a small stipend for lunch or
reimbursement for childcare.
● Extend benefits and support to your entire workforce, including temporary, part-
time or contract workers.
● Help identify where workers can get vaccinated. Search vaccines.gov, text your
ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you. Vaccines are
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widely available at more than 80,000 locations across the country, including over
40,000 retail pharmacies. Ninety percent of Americans live within 5 miles of a
vaccine site.
● Offer internet access or language support services to help employees and
workers schedule appointments.
● Some small businesses may be able to partner with a local public health
department or other providers to offer on-site vaccinations to employees and
workers, even during late shifts.
● Consider providing small prizes, rewards, or other modest financial incentives
(i.e., gift cards, coupons, tokens, etc.) to employees and customers who get
vaccinated.
● Remind employees that vaccines are free and available to everyone in the United
States ages 5 and older, regardless of immigration status. You don’t need health
insurance to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Strengthen Vaccine Distribution in Your Community
Delivering and administering hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccinations represents one of
the greatest communications, logistical and public health challenges in our country’s history.
There are many ways your small business might support local vaccination efforts and
contribute to a faster recovery.
Options for Small Businesses
● Lead by example. As a trusted leader in your community, you can encourage other
small businesses to share facts about the safety and benefits of vaccines; offer paid
time off to workers for vaccine appointments and recovery, including to attend
vaccine appointments with eligible children; and align workplace safety protocols
with the latest public health guidance.
● Encourage your local chamber of commerce or rotary club to host an educational
conversation on the role of small businesses in the vaccine response, and
volunteer to share what you’ve learned.
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● Encourage your customers to get vaccinated by offering special coupons,
discounts, or other incentives.
● Share vaccine facts on your product packaging or post educational flyers at your
place of business.
● Contact your local public health department to help address other needs, including
transportation, childcare, language support or other services that may help
improve access and remove barriers to vaccination in your community.
Tools and Resources
Tools, templates, and communications resources are available to help you engage
employees, workers, customers, and other stakeholders, including:
● Vaccine Conversation Guide for Managers
● Quick Start Guide – Covid-19 Workplace
• CDC: COVID-19 Vaccine Resources and Communications Resources
• U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration COVID-19
Guidance by Industry
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