Survey: Half of firms in Pittsburgh region don't require covid vaccines; some using incentives

As the debate rages nationally over whether employers should require covid-19 vaccines for workers, a recent survey of businesses in Southwestern Pennsylvania found that close to half of all firms have decided not to mandate the shot to protect against the coronavirus.

On the other hand, less than 30% of firms have already mandated the vaccine or plan to do so for workers, according to a survey of 112 small, medium and large businesses conducted by the Pennsylvania Economy League of Greater Pittsburgh. The smallest businesses were more likely to make it a requirement.

At recent job fairs in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, employers have said that vaccination has not been a condition of employment. Companies just want to get people to take jobs that are open in a challenging environment for landing workers, said Janice Albright, site administrator at the PA Career Link.

For the nursing homes that use OnCall Medical Staffing Inc., some homes require full vaccination. Other employers either require employees to be vaccinated or undergo frequent covid testing, possibly weekly, said Marvin Taliaferro, operations director at OnCall Medical’s Tarentum office.

Most of those seeking jobs in the nursing homes through OnCall have been vaccinated, Taliaffero said.

For Paula Schmitt’s staffing agency, Express Employment Professionals in Penn Township, only two of her 80 clients are asking that employees be vaccinated as a condition of working in that business. A medical device firm requires it, as well as a local defense contractor, whose business would fall under President Biden’s vaccination guidelines.

At Nesco Resources staffing agency in Hempfield, only one of its clients — a medical device manufacturer — requires vaccination, said Bryan Reiter, market manager for the Hempfield site. On the other hand, a small toy manufacturer is not requiring any proof of vaccination.

Vaccinations have not been a condition of employment for those companies seeking workers through the PA Career Link office at the Westmoreland County Community College, Albright said.

The survey did find that about 6% of all employers did intend to pursue alternatives to mandated vaccines, such as strongly encouraging their workforce, offering incentives or resorting to frequent covid tests.

Albright said that PA Career Link has worked with those companies that are incentivizing workers to get the coronavirus vaccine.