Number of the Day: 73%
Deloitte US made national headlines last Tuesday when CEO Joe Ucuzoglu told employees in an email that the firm “will require PPMDs and professionals to be vaccinated [against COVID-19] to access US Deloitte facilities,” effective Oct. 11, which led Adrienne to speculate that the other Big 4 firms will eventually fall in line behind Deloitte and come out with similar vaccine requirements for their employees.
Deloitte is THE biggest of the public accounting firms in the US, with revenue topping nearly $23.2 billion in fiscal year 2020. But what about those public accounting firms that only pull in $50 million to $100 million in net revenue annually, or those in the $20 million to $50 million range? How likely are they to enforce some sort of COVID-19 vaccine requirement or mandate for employees in the coming days, weeks, or months?
The answer, according to a recent survey from INSIDE Public Accounting, is “probably not likely.” From the August 2021 IPA Pulse Survey, Vaccinations and the Return to the Office:
Most firms are taking a delicate approach to requiring vaccinations for a return to the office, with 73% of respondents not currently compelling the shot among staff, but 21% still considering such a mandate. Reasons for forgoing a vaccine requirement include the possibility of resistance from employees, a negative impact on culture/morale and potential legal liability.
Here is a graph detailing respondents’ concerns about mandating a COVID vaccine, by firm revenue size:
Along these same lines, the IPA survey also reveals that only 22% of accounting firms are requesting vaccination status before employees return to the office, while more than 70% are not. Larger firms are more likely to ask employees for their vaccination status, with 36% of firms above $100 million indicating they’ll do so, while just 16% of firms between $20 and $50 million would do so.
You can download the full report here.
Related article:
Beginning October 11, You Won’t Get Into Deloitte US Offices Without a COVID Vaccine
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