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- Leidos is splitting $1 million between 10 random employees as an incentive to get vaccinated.
- Each employee that is selected will receive enough cash to equal one year's pay.
- The US is just below the 50% vaccination mark, with 47.9% of Americans being fully vaccinated,
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Leidos, a major government IT contractor, is joining the vaccination push.
The $14 billion company, which is based in Virginia, plans to split $1 million between 10 random employees out of the company's 40,000 global workers as an incentive to get vaccinated, The Washington Post reported.
Each employee selected will receive enough cash to equal one year's pay. Managers are not eligible.
"For more than 50 years, Leidos' mission has been to make the world safer, healthier and more efficient.
Today we are doubling down on that charter," Roger Krone, Leidos CEO said in a press release. "Through this campaign, we are investing in our people and providing a tangible incentive to save lives. If it
encourages even one person to get the vaccine, it's money well spent."
The "Move the Needle" sweepstakes began on June 28, and will continue until October 29, 2021.
New York, Maryland, Kentucky, and Ohio have all offered cash prizes for fully vaccinated Americans. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a free scratch-off lottery ticket (worth $20) for a chance to win $5 million.
President Joe Biden aimed to have 70% of the US vaccinated by the Fourth of July, but that goal has fallen short. 331 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, but only 147 million Americans are fully vaccinated. Bringing the US just below the 50% vaccination mark, with47.9% of Americans being fully vaccinated.
"Our company, like the country at large, has seen a bit of a slowdown in the number of people actually getting the vaccine," Krone told The Washington Post."We see a huge need to gently push people who are on the fence, and give them one more reason to do it."
Many economists agree: lotteries may be the encouragement needed to get holdouts vaccinated.
Employers can legally require employees to get vaccinated before returning to work, Insider previously reported. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, employers have the right to ban employees who refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine from returning to the workplace.