Disney World employees can get extra pay for getting COVID-19 vaccinations

[Disney4me]

Disney employees who are fully vaccinated by Sept. 30, either through the single-dose vaccine or both doses of a two-dose vaccine, may get a payment equal to four hours of pay.

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Disney World is offering up cash to employees who get vaccinated against coronavirus, joining other Central Florida businesses pushing to protect their workforce against the pandemic.

Employees who are fully vaccinated by Sept. 30, either through the single-dose vaccine or both doses of a two-dose vaccine, become eligible for a one-time payment equal to four hours of pay, according to Disney World spokeswoman Erica Ettori.

Disney World has also been offering vaccines to employees by appointment at Disney Health Services and through “pop-up” clinics. The company did not release how many staffers have received the vaccine so far.

The moves by Disney are a good thing for the more than 8,000 Disney attractions and custodial workers represented by Unite Here Local 362, said its president, Eric Clinton.

“They’re guest-facing. They come in contact in some cases with thousands of tourists on a daily basis,” Clinton said. “Every single thing that we can do to protect people, including getting vaccinated, moves us towards being safe and back towards a new normal.”

Universal Orlando Resort is holding a multiday, on-site vaccination event this week that it anticipates hundreds of employees will participate in, according to spokesman Tom Schroder.

“So that we can remove any potential barriers and encourage vaccinations, we will compensate our team members for a missed shift should they have side effects,” Schroder wrote in an email.

Orlando-based Darden Restaurants, owner of more than 1,820 chain restaurants across the country including Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, said in January it would grant workers two hours of pay for each dose of the vaccine they receive, for up to four hours of compensation.

“I don’t have specific numbers to share, but I can tell our team members are taking advantage of the benefit,” Darden spokesman Rich Jeffers said. “In fact, over the past three weeks, we’ve seen a weekly increase in the number of team members receiving their first shot as the eligible age has dropped across the country.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

afuller@orlandosentinel.com