Staff to get paid leave for Covid jab

SOME of Australia’s leading business groups have joined forces pledging to allow their staff to take a day off work to get vaccinated – and still get paid.

Full-time and part-time permanent staff at Lendi Group, Prospa, Zip Co, Honey Insurance, Athena, Valiant Finance and Domain Group will be paid for time off taken to get both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Those businesses are now calling on other companies to follow suit by signing up to the Great Aussie Vaccine Drive.

Through taking the pledge, companies are asked to:

PROVIDE permanent employees with paid leave accessible twice, for both doses of their Covid-19 vaccine;

MAKE paid vaccination leave available to employees throughout the government’s vaccine rollout, and;

PROVIDE paid vaccination leave or flexible options to make it easier for casual employees to attend vaccination appointments.

“We can see from the events unfolding around the country that getting vaccinated is crucial in protecting Australians and building towards a new Covid normal for all of us,” Lendi CEO David Hyman said.

“Between family, work commitments and waitlists, it can be hard to schedule a vaccination time outside of traditional office hours and that’s why we are making it easier for people who are eligible and want to get vaccinated, to do so.”

Mr Hyman said, as larger employers, it was their role to make it easier for their staff to access a COVID-19 vaccine if they chose to.

Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus praised the “vital” move.

“They join with other employers such as NSW local government, the Victorian public service, 75 superannuation funds and banks, Woolworths and Big W who have also stepped up,” Ms McManus said.

“We need all employers to commit to paid vaccination leave, including for casuals, so we can get this job done as soon as possible,” Ms McManus said.

She added that paid vaccination leave should also be extended to “insecure workers who don’t have paid leave entitlements”.