{"id":18436,"date":"2021-02-25T13:51:43","date_gmt":"2021-02-25T18:51:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/?p=18436"},"modified":"2025-04-12T13:59:51","modified_gmt":"2025-04-12T17:59:51","slug":"what-to-know-about-the-covid-19-vaccine-and-your-workforce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/what-to-know-about-the-covid-19-vaccine-and-your-workforce\/","title":{"rendered":"What to know about the COVID-19 vaccine and your workforce"},"content":{"rendered":"

The development of a COVID-19 vaccine in less than a year was an incredible achievement on the part of the scientific and medical community. While most vaccines take years to formulate and test, 2020 saw two COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in Canada.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that a COVID-19 vaccination campaign is underway across the country, you may be wondering when Canada\u2019s workforce will be able to resume office work. Here are some important elements to consider as your organization prepares for a return to the office.<\/span><\/p>\n

Emerging from COVID-19 \u2014 the year ahead<\/span><\/h2>\n

At the moment, two COVID-19 vaccines have been approved by Health Canada and are now ready for distribution. They come from the pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Pfizer. Both vaccines are <\/span>over 90% effective<\/span><\/a> at immunizing against COVID-19. This means that if 100 people were to receive a vaccine, <\/span>fewer than 10 people<\/span><\/a> would contract COVID-19. As for how long immunity lasts, <\/span>no one knows<\/span><\/a> quite yet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical company based in the United Kingdom, has also developed a vaccine that\u2019s up to 90% effective. We\u2019re still awaiting its possible approval and rollout in Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the arrival of a vaccine signals a turn in the fight against COVID-19, we still have a long way to go before we can reap its benefits as a society. Producing vaccines for millions of Canadians and coordinating delivery and vaccinations will require Herculean, months-long efforts. Moreover, both COVID-19 vaccines require two shots taken a few weeks apart, which adds significant logistical hurdles. The first shot introduces the body to the COVID-19 virus, and the second shot strengthens the immune response even more. After vaccination, it typically takes the body a few weeks to reach peak immunity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Both vaccines also require intense refrigeration. Pfizer\u2019s vaccine must be chilled at minus <\/span>70 degrees celsius<\/span><\/a> while Moderna\u2019s vaccine must be stored at minus 20 degrees celsius. AstraZeneca\u2019s vaccine has a notable advantage \u2014 it can be kept in regular refrigerated conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Both Pfizer and Moderna\u2019s COVID-19 vaccines elicit a fairly broad immune response, so <\/span>experts believe<\/span><\/a> that it\u2019s likely these vaccines will protect people against new variants of the virus. That being said, studies are still being conducted to test the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines against these new variants.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When will Canada receive the COVID-19 vaccine?<\/span><\/h2>\n

According to government officials, Canada is expected to receive around <\/span>six million doses<\/span><\/a> of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines by the end of March. By <\/span>September<\/span><\/a>, it\u2019s expected we\u2019ll have procured enough vaccines for everyone in Canada who wants to be immunized.<\/span><\/p>\n

The goal with vaccination is to immunize enough Canadians to hit and surpass the herd immunity threshold. With herd immunity, if one person is infected with an illness, the virus dies before it can be passed to another non-immune person.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the moment, there are still questions around what\u2019s needed to achieve herd immunity. Experts believe a high percentage of the population, <\/span>around 85%<\/span>, will likely need to be immunized before a societal protection can be reached.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to plan for re-opening your office<\/span><\/h2>\n

With the COVID-19 vaccination campaign now underway across Canada, organizations have started to plan for a safe return to the office. Here are some important questions for HR teams to consider.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. What will our new work model look like?<\/span><\/h3>\n

According to studies<\/span><\/a>, 85% of Canadian workers want the option of working from home more frequently once offices reopen and 68% want fewer in-person meetings and training sessions. At the same time, according to <\/span>Mental Health Research Canada<\/span><\/a>, 36% of Canadians claim that working exclusively from home is negatively impacting their mental health.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, a hybrid work model is gaining popularity. This model allows for employees to come to the office when collaboration is needed, and stay home when heads-down work is required. This model puts flexibility first, which many employees have come to appreciate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Though working through a pandemic has been a learning experience for employers and employees alike, workers certainly appreciate some newfound efficiencies of working remotely. <\/span>One survey<\/span><\/a> found that 35% of remote workers have noted an increase in their productivity while 40% mentioned being equally as productive. Remote workers also save an average of <\/span>40 minutes daily<\/span><\/a> from commuting and exercise <\/span>30 minutes more<\/span><\/a> during the workweek.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a whole, it\u2019s clear that employees show a growing preference for companies offering flexible work arrangements. Only <\/span>one in five<\/span><\/a> Canadian workers say they would like to return to the office full-time.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. When should we ask employees to return to the office?<\/span><\/h3>\n

The question of when and how to gradually bring employees back to the office is one of the biggest challenges organizations are facing right now. Some companies, such as Netflix, don\u2019t plan to bring employees back until <\/span>a majority<\/span><\/a> of them have been vaccinated. Others, like <\/span>CAA Insurance<\/span><\/a>, will be bringing back workers gradually, but don\u2019t anticipate having more than 50% of its staff back in the office until at least after the third quarter of 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re planning on asking employees to return to the office before herd immunity has been achieved, make sure to put workers at the heart of your planning process. Protect employees\u2019 health and safety by:<\/span><\/p>\n