Providing COVID vaccination status may help chances of getting hired, survey says

TAMPA, Fla. - Some jobs now require potential employees to provide their COVID-19 vaccination status on the application and a recent survey found job applicants who list vaccination status on their resume may help their name rise to the top of the stack.

"Definitely seeing a lot more jobs saying you have to be vaccinated or you don’t have to be vaccinated but you have to be willing to wear a mask," said Alex Lewis, 20, who is looking for a job. "'You have to fall within our companies COVID-19 guidelines,' which I don’t have a problem with. But it’s interesting to see how work culture has changed because of the pandemic."

Lewis hopes to land a position with the Straz Center in Tampa after attending a job fair Monday. The Straz is one of many employers now requiring people to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or be willing to get the shot if hired.

Some applicants are getting ahead by listing their vaccination status on their resumes. A recent survey by ResumeBuilder.com found it makes them more desirable hires.

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"I don’t know. I haven’t considered putting ‘COVID-19 fully vaccinated’ on there. I probably would now that you mention it," said Lewis, who has received the vaccine.

A third of 1,250 hiring managers surveyed in August said they would toss out resumes without listing vaccine status. Hiring expert Casey Hasten said it’s a new topic to consider on applications.

"I personally feel like you should not list your vaccination status on your resume for several reasons. Number one, we haven't proven this out in court that this isn't a HIPPA violation to ask your status," said Hasten, the director of recruiting with VIP. "If you start putting it on there and you make that a process that most people are following, that it's only going to alienate those people that don't want to list it for one reason or another, whether they just don't feel like it's appropriate or whether they're you don't want to be vaccinated or they can't, it could eliminate them from a full employment."

In Florida, attorney Robert Shimberg said vaccine status can go on a resume if you think it may help. As for job applications, Shimberg explained what companies have to keep in mind.

"From the employer standpoint, I mean, certainly you want to make sure first and foremost that you're complying with the law and that to the extent you want to say vaccination is required to work here, you always want to have that asterisk on there," said Shimberg of Hill Ward Henderson law firm. "The asterisk is that you want to note it is subject to the two noted exceptions, the medical disability and sincerely held religious belief."

The hiring managers surveyed also told researchers that 63% of their companies mandated vaccines and that influences who they hire. But hiring experts said using vaccine status as a screener could make companies lose out on good candidates.