BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country and now some employers are offering information and incentives to boost vaccination efforts.
“Doing whatever I can to help them get vaccinated. To keep them safe, to help the people coming in here safe. That’s our goal,” said Matthew Amato, owner of Beef O Brady’s in Bentonville.
In order to keep that goal, Amato isn’t solely beefing up sanitation measures. He’s making sure his employees are educated about the Covid-19 vaccine.
“My biggest thing is communication. Giving them all the information,” Amato said.
Amato is also incentivizing the vaccine.
“We’re also giving them a gift card as a ‘Thank you for doing it, thank you for keeping safe.’”
Beef O Brady’s is giving employees who get the vaccine the choice of a $200 dollar gift card from either Walmart, Target, or Amazon. So far, he says employees have been receptive.
“Employees love it they think it’s a great way to let them know that I do care,” Amato said. Along with caring for his employees' safety, he wants them to know that he also wants to keep them employed and doesn’t want the pandemic to close his business again. “I don’t want them to shut us down again. That something we can’t afford.”
Amato says that’s why he’s taking every precaution necessary to ensure his doors stay open and his employees are safe.
“It’s about safety. It’s about not just a small picture with the big picture.”
According to Governor Asa Hutchinson, businesses who incentives the vaccine can get tax credits covered by the American Rescue Plan.