Apple Offers Employees Paid Time Off to Get Vaccinated

[gnasher729]

Mhmmm I doubt, that vaccinations in the current form will help in the long run. New mutants could be immune against the antibodies.

There’s say a 20 million in one chance that an infection creates a mutation. If we keep the number of infections low enough then there won’t be more mutations. That’s why it is important that everyone gets vaccinated, including young people who have little risk of damage themselves.

 

[hot-gril]

I'm really surprised Apple isn't buying batches of the vaccines and bringing in nurses to administer them for employees.

Probably not legally set up to do that.

 

[hot-gril]

so is that how they innovative over there- by bumping into someone occasionally?

I think it helps with innovation to be in-person for meetings, coffee breaks, etc, but the whole "open office" setup some corps have where you're never alone at your desk is purely cost reduction + keeping people working by having eyes on them. Apple in particular also doesn't like secrets getting out, and for good reason.

 

[hot-gril]

Why should it?

Cause it also covers doctor visits, and if you have side effects from the vaccine, that's basically like being sick. And if you mean, why should it cover that too, idk. It's just the lines they drew.

 

[hot-gril]

The fact that this is newsworthy just shows how screwed up anything around health is in the United States. In Europe this is the most normal thing in the world.

It's not really newsworthy. People often already get paid time off for this, especially in these big tech companies. If they don't, whatever, there's unpaid leave.

 

[hot-gril]

I wonder if Apple has plans to provide equitable benefit to those employees who have concerns with the vaccines and may choose not to get it?

I'd rather just be paid* a fixed $/day to work and not have all these weird alternate ways of being paid, including via RSUs, HSA, 401(k), free stuff like food, parental leave, and odd benefits I won't mention cause they'd give away where I work, but this is what you get if you're not an independent contractor. A day of paid sick leave is the least of it.

* I don't work for Apple but for another large company

 

[Abazigal]

Never underestimate people's willingness to express anonymous online outrage about anything.

I would argue that it is actually in Apple’s best interests to get their staff vaccinated. Both for their well-being (which would result in fewer sick days), and increased confidence from their customers who feel safer shopping in a store knowing its staff are safe from the virus.

It costs Apple practically nothing (it’s not like Apple stores are particularly crowded these days) and earns them free press, so why not?

 

[CosmoCopus]

Hats off to our Great President Trump and his operation warp speed getting vaccines in record time.

 

[IllinoisCorn]

Paid time off to get vaccinated? Evil socialism! That's the scary stuff they do in Europe, not in the States.

I'm not really sure I understand this.

Apple is giving employees a paid day off to get a once in a century vaccine and that has what to do with socialism and Apple?

 

[iReality85]

I am in the minority in that I hate working from home. Been in office the whole pandemic as a volunteer to "be hands in the office”

I think that's highly dependent on the position/job and company. I know people that consider on-site work as a perk. Your own 50 sq. ft. office with a pair of 27" monitors, great furniture, access to company facilities, ergonomist, brewed coffee, restaurants, etc. Not to mention the much needed social connections at the workplace.

This exactly describes me. I work in the construction industry, and although I am mostly able to work from home, I am simply more productive at the office. Not because of any lack of work ethic at home, but because the office can better accommodate my workload.

Sure, I have dual monitors, a decent printer/scanner, and good internet— as well as a home office— but it doesn’t compare to having direct access to $5000 Canon copiers, file rooms and cabinets, and being on the local network. In a complimentary way, I consider my office as my home away from home.

In regards to the news topic, my company also offers the same benefits for covid vaccinations.

 

[hlfway2anywhere]

I'm not really sure I understand this.

Apple is giving employees a paid day off to get a once in a century vaccine and that has what to do with socialism and Apple?

Sarcasm my friend. Sarcasm.

 

[IllinoisCorn]

I'm really surprised Apple isn't buying batches of the vaccines and bringing in nurses to administer them for employe

I'd rather just be paid* a fixed $/day to work and not have all these weird alternate ways of being paid, including via RSUs, HSA, 401(k), free stuff like food, parental leave, and odd benefits I won't mention cause they'd give away where I work, but this is what you get if you're not an independent contractor. A day of paid sick leave is the least of it.

* I don't work for Apple but for another large company

You have to understand salaries are not never-ending.

There comes a point in many positions where additional cash is just not feasible, so to retain employees and try to reward them, employers offer non-salary benefits.

 

[jonblatho]

If you're going to troll, at least do a smarter job of it. Socialism is about state control of the means of production, not the laudable actions of private corporations. As an ardent capitalist myself, I am happy to see Apple do this. But it's no more than what I expect of them. As small business owner myself, not necessarily thriving during COVID, I did exactly the same. I don't want there to be any barriers to any of my people getting vaccinated.

It's a joke.

 

[Kabeyun]

I would argue that it is actually in Apple’s best interests to get their staff vaccinated. Both for their well-being (which would result in fewer sick days), and increased confidence from their customers who feel safer shopping in a store knowing its staff are safe from the virus.

It costs Apple practically nothing (it’s not like Apple stores are particularly crowded these days) and earns them free press, so why not?

Interesting post. I’m not questioning that at all. I think maybe you misunderstood somewhere along the way.

 

[lolkthxbai]

Usually standard sick leave covers this.

This is a special sick leave that does not count against or take away from the employee’s standard sick leave balance.

 

[roar08]

There’s say a 20 million in one chance that an infection creates a mutation. If we keep the number of infections low enough then there won’t be more mutations. That’s why it is important that everyone gets vaccinated, including young people who have little risk of damage themselves.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33423311/

"Out of 10333 spike protein sequences analyzed, 8155 proteins comprised one or more mutations. A total of 9654 mutations were observed that correspond to 400 distinct mutation sites."

This was published Jan. 9th. There are far more mutations/variants than reported in the media. Once the spike protein starts mutating notably (such as in the South Africa variant), current vaccines are far less effective, as discussed here:

New evidence COVID-19 antibodies, vaccines less effective against variants | Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Worrisome new coronavirus variants can evade antibodies that neutralize original virus

medicine.wustl.edu

 

[IllinoisCorn]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33423311/

"Out of 10333 spike protein sequences analyzed, 8155 proteins comprised one or more mutations. A total of 9654 mutations were observed that correspond to 400 distinct mutation sites."

This was published Jan. 9th. There are far more mutations/variants than reported in the media. Once the spike protein starts mutating notably (such as in the South Africa variant), current vaccines are far less effective, as discussed here:

New evidence COVID-19 antibodies, vaccines less effective against variants | Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Worrisome new coronavirus variants can evade antibodies that neutralize original virus

medicine.wustl.edu

The bug still has to get from person to person, irrespective of "mutations."

 

[atomwork]

Paid time off to get vaccinated? Evil socialism! That's the scary stuff they do in Europe, not in the States.

Yeah, but people in Germany only pay 49% taxes and have free schools, free universities, free healthcare, and 4 weeks vacation. Idiots in California or NYC pay up to 68% taxes while having nothing and cheer for paying more taxes.

 

[maxfromdenmark]

Paid time off to get vaccinated? Evil socialism! That's the scary stuff they do in Europe, not in the States.

Hey a guy from Denmark here. I haven’t heard if any company pays here for using work time for being vaccinated but our full time is 37 hours a week so everyone got plenty of time for taking care in free time.

 

[hot-gril]

You have to understand salaries are not never-ending.

There comes a point in many positions where additional cash is just not feasible, so to retain employees and try to reward them, employers offer non-salary benefits.

I figure why they do it, a combination of retention, wanting to hire younger people who are going to benefit more from most of that stuff, and (when it comes to health benefits) weird tax reasons. Some companies are less about that and do pay mostly cash.

 

[roar08]

The bug still has to get from person to person, irrespective of "mutations."

There's currently no definitive, notable reduction in transmission due to vaccination (there are published anecdotes/thories -- but nothing definitive), due in large part to the relative newness of the strain(s), and therefore lack of historical data. There are excellent papers in Science, Nature, and of course other peer-reviewed academic journals.

Sharing this link just as a resource (there are many) where this is discussed:

Fact check: Scientists do not yet know whether the COVID-19 vaccine reduces transmission of the virus

A Facebook post, shared hundreds of times since Jan. 15, claims that the COVID-19 vaccine does not prevent transmission of the disease, meaning vaccinated people will effectively become “silent spreaders”. It uses this as an argument against introducing health passports...

www.reuters.com

Conclusion:

"There is no conclusive evidence to claim COVID-19 vaccines do not prevent people spreading the disease. Scientists are not yet sure of how the vaccine affects transmission – and this is currently undergoing research. People are still required to follow restrictions even after vaccination to account for this uncertainty."

 

[macsareveryinteresting]

It’s about time. And I don’t blame Apple. I would want all my employees to get vaccinated so I’m safe and they’re safe.

 

[jimbobb24]

It will be interesting to see if this really changes anything with working at the office. Probably more geared toward Retail. Also, until children can get vaccinated there will be a lot of people who will stay home regardless.

Children don’t transmit much. And vaccinated them is unnecessary. The car ride to the doctor has way higher chance of mortality. Once we vaccinate most the seniors and high risk people this thing is going to disappear in a hurry. Vaccinating children will be unnecessary.

 

[jimbobb24]

There's currently no definitive, notable reduction in transmission due to vaccination (there are published anecdotes/thories -- but nothing definitive), due in large part to the relative newness of the strain(s), and therefore lack of historical data. There are excellent papers in Science, Nature, and of course other peer-reviewed academic journals.

Sharing this link just as a resource (there are many) where this is discussed:

Fact check: Scientists do not yet know whether the COVID-19 vaccine reduces transmission of the virus

A Facebook post, shared hundreds of times since Jan. 15, claims that the COVID-19 vaccine does not prevent transmission of the disease, meaning vaccinated people will effectively become “silent spreaders”. It uses this as an argument against introducing health passports...

www.reuters.com

Conclusion:

"There is no conclusive evidence to claim COVID-19 vaccines do not prevent people spreading the disease. Scientists are not yet sure of how the vaccine affects transmission – and this is currently undergoing research. People are still required to follow restrictions even after vaccination to account for this uncertainty."

The vaccine stops transmission. It’s irrational to imagine super powers for the vaccine. With every other viral vaccine the vaccine stops transmission. CV19 is not magic so you assume normal behavior until it is proven in the highest level of data to to be otherwise. Extraordinary claims (a vaccine doesn’t stop viral transmission) you need extraordinary evidence not just musings about the possibility.

 

[jimbobb24]

There’s say a 20 million in one chance that an infection creates a mutation. If we keep the number of infections low enough then there won’t be more mutations. That’s why it is important that everyone gets vaccinated, including young people who have little risk of damage themselves.

Mutations generally result in a virus becoming less lethal over time. Most mutations will still result in cross immunity. That’s why epidemics die out over time. If we had no vaccine the virus would still burn out.