A recent AARP analysis showed that nursing homes and other long-term care settings are still experiencing significant COVID-related illnesses and deaths, partly due to unvaccinated workers. Some employees likely are hesitant to get the COVID vaccine because of misconceptions or unfounded beliefs.
To address vaccine misinformation among your workforce, consider the following:
- Discourage managers from discussing their own beliefs. Instead, they should confront misinformation with proven facts and instruct workers that sharing unproven claims with colleagues is disruptive.
- Be respectful and try to understand where people are coming from. Avoid using words such as “ridiculous,” “crazy,” or “absurd” when discussing workers’ beliefs (and misconceptions) with them.
- Understand that false speech isn’t protected in the workplace, so spreading lies or misleading information about vaccines isn’t a First Amendment right.
- Work to establish and maintain trust and transparency with employees and provide/share credible sources of information to help stop the spread of vaccine misinformation, myths, and conspiracy theories.
