Southern Indiana Business Report
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana businesses that have achieved widespread vaccination among employees can earn a designation from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and Wellness Council of Indiana. The newly launched “COVID Stops Here” campaign will recognize employers leading the fight against COVID-19 and playing a role in improving the state’s vaccination numbers. Companies with at least a 70% vaccination rate can receive the designation.
“The more Hoosiers get vaccinated, the sooner our businesses and the lives of our citizens can get back to a semblance of normalcy. That correlation cannot be highlighted enough,” said Indiana Chamber President and CEO Kevin Brinegar. “Employers across the state are helping lead the way in vaccinations, keeping Hoosiers safe and our economy running. We are pleased to recognize these employers who have encouraged staff to get vaccinated and also took steps to make that easier to occur.”
The campaign has assigned four levels of vaccination status: platinum at 100% vaccinated, gold at 90%, silver at 80% and bronze at 70%.
Eligible employers can receive this recognition by filling out a short online application at www.indianachamber.com/stopcovid.
Workplaces that meet the requirements will receive a media kit to help promote their vaccination status.
“This campaign will provide employers an opportunity to publicize their vaccine level, which can have a big impact on employee safety and morale, as well as positively impact their relationships with customers, visitors and partners,” Brinegar notes.
COVID Stops Here is also meant to encourage more organizations to join their ranks and take a proactive role. Specifically, a key part of the campaign is reaching out to those businesses whose workforce vaccination rate has not yet reached 70% and offering guidance and information to spur increased numbers.
“As employers, it is imperative to understand that we remain in the midst of a pandemic. Indiana is seeing a surge in positive COVID-19 cases — recently hitting more than 4,000 cases a day. The Delta variant is highly contagious and requires everyone’s attention,” noted Jennifer Pferrer, executive director of the Wellness Council of Indiana. “We do know vaccines protect workers and help business reopen and stay open safely. We encourage employers to stress this to their employees and maintain an open dialogue regarding vaccinations and other COVID safety policies.”
Pferrer points out that, in general, employers can ask employees about their vaccine status or require proof of vaccination. That is not a HIPAA violation because HIPAA rules do not apply to employers or employment records.
Businesses can learn more about the COVID Stops Here campaign and apply at www.indianachamber.com/stopcovid. The Indiana Chamber’s Coronavirus Recovery Resources are available at www.indianachamber.com/covid.