State of the Pandemic: Vaccination Push and Focus on Mental Health

No one imagined the pandemic would drag on this long – 18 months and counting. It’s been a time of re-evaluation and reflection. For individuals, it’s determining what’s truly important to them. For employers, it’s how they interact with and treat their employees. Jennifer Pferrer, executive director of the Wellness Council of Indiana, says “we are living through history” and cautions that “if employers think they are going to go back to what was ‘normal’, they’re going to lose their employees.”

Pferrer discusses the new COVID Stops Here recognition campaign for employers with a 70% or higher employee vaccination rate, the looming federal vaccine mandate and what she’s hearing from businesses statewide. The second half of the podcast offers an in-depth look at the pandemic’s impact on mental health, the numbers that may be a wakeup call to many and the role companies can play in the mental well-being of their workforce. The ultimate goal with employees, Pferrer says, should be for employers “to help them be their best self.”

COVID Stops Here (www.indianachamber.com/stopcovid)
Wellness Council of Indiana (www.wellnessindiana.org)