There is greater uncertainty surrounding New Zealand female employees’ likeliness and willingness to get vaccinated against Covid-19 compared with the male counterparts, a new report found.
The New Zealand Employment Hero report surveyed 500 employees and 500 employers, 73% of male employees said they are likely to get vaccinated compared to 64% of female employees. Fewer male employees (17%) also said they are unsure if they are likely to get vaccinated, compared to females (23%).
Comparing the survey results to the UK, Singapore and Malaysia, New Zealand has the highest number of employees who do not want to be vaccinated (12% vs 6%, 6% and 4%). Following the same trend, however, female employees in these other countries also more unsure than their male counterparts about whether to get vaccinated. “Interestingly, male employees seem to be less hesitant to get vaccinated than their female counterparts, which contradicts other reports that have found women to be more compliant with public health directives during the pandemic. It’s likely that these sentiments are linked to the fact that pregnant women were not included in clinical trials of the current Covid-19 vaccines, along with a historically substandard level of research in women’s health,” said Alex Hattingh, ANZ chief people officer at Employment Hero.
“While the findings of the report suggest some uncertainty around Covid-19 vaccinations, it’s important to recognise that uncertainty does not necessarily mean complete resistance. In instances where people are unsure about getting vaccinated, the likely cause is a lack of education or an abundance of misinformation – the remedy is understanding and sensitivity, particularly from employers.”
