VOA慢速英语--越来越多美国雇主要求员工接种疫苗

US Employers Step Up Pressure on Unvaccinated People

U.S. employers have used information campaigns, extra money and other persuasions² to urge their workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine³. Now, a growing number are requiring employees to get vaccinated¹ or accept repeated testing.

The federal government, states of California and New York and technology companies Google and Facebook are all demanding vaccinations⁵. Some hospitals, universities, restaurants and entertainment places have also started requiring COVID-19 vaccinations. But the new measures are unlikely to affect many of the millions of unvaccinated Americans.

Many of the companies requiring shots have mostly office workers who are already largely vaccinated and are not willing to work with those who are not.

Some major companies are avoiding vaccination⁴ requirements. Food manufacturers and supermarkets, for example, depend on workers who do not earn a lot of money. They are concerned that requirements might drive away employees and worsen labor⁶ shortages.

For example, Tyson Foods said about half of its 56,000 employees in the U.S. have received shots after the company held more than 100 vaccination events since February. But the company said it has no plans to require the others to get vaccinated.

Walmart and Amazon are also not requiring their workers who are paid by the hour to get vaccinated. However, Walmart said employees at its headquarters will be required to get vaccinated by October 4.

The federal government is the largest employer in the United States. President Joe Biden announced last week that all federal workers must get vaccinated or they face weekly tests and official travel bans.

The federal government has said it will pay for the costs of the weekly tests. For other employers, insurance companies might pay for testing at some workplaces but not others.

Biden's decision could influence other employers to enact⁷ similar rules, said Brian Kropp. He is chief of research at Gartner, a research and advisory⁸ company.

Kropp said some companies face difficult considerations that go beyond laws and requirements. Those considerations include deep resistance to vaccines⁹ in many states where they operate.

Kropp added that companies like Walmart might not be able to defend vaccine requirements for workers while permitting shoppers to remain unvaccinated. Stores have mostly avoided vaccine requirements for customers.

In studies by Gartner, fewer than 10 percent of employers have said they plan to require all employees to be vaccinated. But that might change because vaccination rates are not increasing and fear of the delta¹⁰ variant¹¹ of the coronavirus.

The Union Square Hospitality Group, a group of New York City restaurants and drinking places, is now requiring employees and customers to be vaccinated by September 7. The San Francisco Bar Owner Alliance, a group of about 300 drinking places, made a similar decision.

In addition, hospitals and retirement¹² homes are increasingly requiring the vaccine. At a hospital system in Houston, Texas, many employees filed a legal case over a vaccination requirement. But a judge dismissed the case, and more than 150 employees who refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine were dismissed or resigned.

Atria Senior Living operates more than 200 retirement living communities across the U.S. The company began to require vaccines for its employees in January.

Ninety-nine percent of Atria's 10,000 employees are now vaccinated. And only a small number quit, said company CEO and Chairman John Moore.

"Our residents deserve to live in a vaccinated environment. Our staff deserves to work in a vaccinated environment," Moore said.

Words in This Story

entertainment –n. the industry of providing performances, games and fun activities for people; fun or pleasure that comes from watching a performer, playing a game or other fun activity

shop –v. to visit a store where goods are sold to look at and buy things

customer –n. someone who buys goods or services from a business

resident — n. someone who lives in a particular place

staff –n. a group of people who work for an organization or business

1 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

2 persuasions   

n.劝说，说服（力）( persuasion的名词复数 )；信仰

参考例句：

• To obtain more advertisting it needed readers of all political persuasions. 为获得更多的广告，它需要迎合各种政治见解的读者。 来自辞典例句
• She lingered, and resisted my persuasions to departure a tiresome while. 她踌躇不去，我好说歹说地劝她走，她就是不听。 来自辞典例句

3 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

4 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

5 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

7 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

8 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

9 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

10 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

11 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

12 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。