Marriott is giving employees an interesting incentive to be vaccinated.
Marriott will pay employees to be vaccinated
It has been announced that Marriott has created the Vaccination Care Program, which will provide financial rewards to members on properties managed in the United States and Canada. Thereby, Marriott employees will receive the equivalent of four hours of pay when vaccinated.
Marriott states that it supports global vaccination efforts. The company is also advising on the benefits of vaccination and directing the management of hotels to allow for more flexible vaccination consultation schedules. Marriott is strongly encouraging members to get vaccinated, but it is not making it mandatory for now.
As David Rodriguez, Marriott’s Global Director of Human Resources, describes this change:
“The health and safety of our people is our top priority. Our goal with the Vaccination Care Program is to remove possible obstacles to vaccination, so that our members can put their health first and have peace of mind. Marriott International is confident that vaccination is a key measure, along with mask use, social detachment and enhanced cleaning protocols and hygiene practices to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
As vaccines become more widely available, this will create a safer environment for all members, and we believe that consumer confidence in traveling again will significantly increase and help the travel and tourism industry recover. We appreciate the support of our managed hotel owners and encourage the industry and our franchisees to offer flexibility and incentives to their members as a vital step in the recovery of our industry. “
This is well thought out by Marriott
Marriott is not often innovative, but I have to give credit to the hotel group here, as I think this concept is very well thought out. We have seen many travel brands talk about the importance of vaccination, but we have not seen them create incentives to be vaccinated.
For example, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said that he would like vaccination to be mandatory for all employees. He explained that, for this to happen, other companies would have to take a similar stance, or United would not be able to “get away” with this.
I think Marriott is taking exactly the right approach here – the company is giving employees an incentive to be vaccinated and is encouraging properties to be flexible with employee schedules so that this can be easily facilitated.
While we may eventually see companies making vaccination mandatory, this is the right solution for now, in my opinion.
Ultimately, vaccination of travel industry employees is important – it’s not just about keeping them safe, but also about keeping guests safe, as most early studies suggest that vaccinated people are less likely to spread the coronavirus too.
Looking at other parts of the travel industry, Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi, recently became the first major airline to vaccinate all pilots and cabin crew. The company did not make it mandatory, but said that anyone who chooses not to be vaccinated will not be entitled to a medical license or health plan from the company if they contract the coronavirus.
Result
Marriott is encouraging hotel employees in the United States and Canada to get vaccinated, with the company offering four hours of pay as a reward. Although this payment does not change lives, it is a nice gesture and it is more than we have seen in other travel brands so far.
At some point along the way, we can talk about whether or not vaccination should be mandatory for employees, but at this point this conversation does not seem constructive, since vaccines are not even available to everyone right now, we do not know what the situation will be in the coming months. , and because this discussion inevitably becomes too political.
What do you think of Marriott’s vaccination incentive?