(Reuters) - Most employers who are requiring or allowing remote work are not planning to change course for months to come, even as an increasing number of people receive the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a survey released by management-side firm Littler Mendelson on Tuesday.

In a survey of 1,800 human resources professionals, in-house lawyers and executives, Littler found that 86% of respondents with remote-work arrangements are extending them at least into the summer, and a majority plan to keep pandemic-related safety precautions in place even after vaccines are readily available.

Devjani Mishra, a leader of Littler's COVID-19 Task Force and Return-to-Work Team, said it may be tempting to see vaccines as a "cure-all" for the disruption caused by the pandemic.

"But the reality is they are just one arrow in the quiver for employers, who must continue existing safety protocols, including symptom screenings, travel restrictions, face masks and distancing," Mishra said.

The survey was conducted between Jan 13. and 22. Respondents represented businesses of various sizes in a range of industries.

Along with being reluctant to bring workers back to the office, employers are hesitant to require them to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, Littler found. Only 7% of respondents in its survey are currently mandating vaccines or planning to do so, the firm said. And while 43% are still considering it, nearly half have already decided against a mandate.

In December, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued guidance saying that employers can require that workers be vaccinated without violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Employees who refuse to be vaccinated because of medical conditions or religious beliefs cannot be excluded from the workplace, the EEOC said, unless an employer finds that there is no way to provide them with a reasonable accommodation.

Littler in its survey found that reluctance to require vaccinations was primarily motivated by employee relations: 79% of respondents cited employee resistance to vaccine mandates, while 67% were concerned about a mandate's impact on employee morale and company culture. Nearly two-thirds of companies also cited potential legal liability as a concern.

Barry Hartstein, leader of Littler's COVID-19 Vaccination Working Group, said it was not surprising that most employers are planning to encourage, rather than mandate, immunization, given the many legal and practical considerations.

"It's also a telling sign of the unprecedented environment we're operating in that employers' top two concerns with requiring vaccination are not legal or liability issues, but rather focus on the personal perspective of employees grappling with an ongoing global crisis and the potential impact on company culture," he said.

Littler's findings squared with a similar survey of more than 700 employers released last week by law firm Fisher Phillips. Only 9% of respondents in that survey said they were considering mandating vaccines.

And while 78% of respondents plan to encourage vaccinations, only about one in five are considering offering incentives such as cash and paid time off because of uncertainty about their legality, Fisher Phillips found.