Russian business promised employees snowmobiles and vouchers for vaccination

Due to another increase in the incidence of CORONAVIRUS infection in the country, the largest Russian companies are trying to encourage employees to get vaccinated against covid-19 in order to achieve herd immunity, writes Bloomberg.

For example, ALROSA is raffling off a Hyundai Solaris car and snowmobiles among vaccinated employees. The company announced the prize draw in March, when it was reported that 60 gifts would take part in it, including smartphones, laptops, boats and an ATV.

Evraz and Severstal are also raffling off cash and other prizes, the agency writes. As Severstal told RBC, the competition among vaccinated employees is one of the elements of incentives for vaccination, but not the main one. “The biggest emphasis is on the personal example of the tops, their dialogues with the teams,” the company explained.

The Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works offers an additional day off after each stage of vaccination, while maintaining the average salary.

PhosAgro also stimulates vaccination: employees with antibodies against COVID-19 are given priority in the distribution of vouchers to corporate HEALTH facilities, the company told RBC. Also, vaccinated employees, on a priority basis, can choose the time for classes in corporate gyms, swimming pools and fitness centers on the territory of enterprises.

Bloomberg reports that at least one component of the vaccine was received by 49% of PhosAgro employees, 46% of Surgutneftegaz, 38% of Evraz, 31% of Gazprom, 20% of Metalloinvest and 12% of Severstal ".

These data were confirmed by RBC in Evraz, Gazprom and Metalloinvest. PhosAgro clarified that more than 70% of the group’s employees currently have immunity to coronavirus, of which more than 50% have been vaccinated.

RBC sent inquiries to a representative of Surgutneftegaz.

On June 22, Dmitry Pumpyansky, President of the Sverdlovsk Regional Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (SOSPP), owner of the Pipe Metallurgical Company (TMK), made a proposal to businesses to encourage vaccinated employees with money or an additional day off.

The measures announced by the companies helped increase the percentage of vaccinated employees to a level higher than the national average, writes Bloomberg. The agency notes that RUSSIA is dominated by large companies and, according to Rosstat, almost half of Russians of working age work in medium or large businesses.

Last week, President Vladimir Putin announced 18 million vaccinated across Russia. This is about 12% of the country's population (146.2 million people according to Rosstat as of January 2021).

Earlier, a number of regions introduced mandatory vaccination for certain categories of citizens. In Moscow, employers in a number of areas (education, catering, trade, etc.) must vaccinate at least 60% of their employees with the first dose by July 15, and the second dose by August 15. In some regions, for example in St. Petersburg , they decided to introduce mandatory vaccination only for civil servants.