Marriott to pay employees to get vaccinated

The Marriott hotel chain will begin issuing four hours of pay to all hotel employees who get a coronavirus vaccine.

In an announcement on Thursday, the hospitality company said it will provide all associates at its hotels based in the United States and Canada with a financial award for getting the vaccine and education on the vaccine as well as time off to receive it through its new Vaccination Care Program.

“The health and safety of our people is our top priority. Our goal for the Vaccination Care Program is to remove potential obstacles to getting vaccinated so our associates can put their health first and have peace of mind,” Marriott’s Global Chief Human Resources Officer David Rodriguez said in a press release.

Marriott also stated that it is hopeful that as more people become vaccinated the travel and hospitality industries will begin to see an influx after it was devastated by the effects of the pandemic.

“As vaccines become more widely available, this will create a safer environment for all associates, and we believe that consumer confidence to travel again will increase significantly and help the rebound of the travel and tourism sector,” Rodriguez said. “We appreciate the support from our managed hotel owners, and encourage the industry and our franchisees to offer flexibility and incentives to their associates as a vital step in our industry’s recovery.”

In July, the U.S. Travel Association noted that the travel industry lost more than 50 percent of its workforce due to the pandemic.

Marriott joins grocery stores and retailers such as Trader Joe’s and Instacart that have announced that they will give their employees extra pay for getting a COVID-19 vaccine.