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From vaccine leave to plans to offer on-site inoculation, each of the big four firms has signalled moves to support the widespread vaccination of their staff.
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Big 4 firms signal COVID-19 vaccine programs
10 August 2021
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11 minute read
While COVID-19 vaccination won’t be made mandatory for staff members at any of the big four, each has adopted a strategy to boost uptake among its workers, and some have gone so far as to offer paid leave for those eager to get the jab, after state and federal leaders called on the support of business to expedite the nation’s vaccine rollout.
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That was the strategy adopted by Ernst & Young where, according to a spokeswoman at the firm, staff have been offered two half days’ vaccine leave, and planning for the rollout of on-site vaccinations for both staff and their families is underway.
“We are encouraging our people who can to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible and supply is available in Australia,” she said. “To support this, we are offering two half day’s vaccination leave for all our people to get the two doses required for maximum protection against the disease.
“When supply is available, we intend to provide an onsite vaccination program for our people and their families, similar to the flu vaccination program, and are currently engaging with the Commonwealth and key stakeholders including the Business Council of Australia’s Vaccination Plan.”
Offers of varying COVID-19 vaccine programs across the professional services industry emerge following calls from New South Wales Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, who on Thursday last week pleaded with the state’s businesses to roll out vaccine programs of their own.
She urged businesses to bear in mind that the sooner workers are vaccinated, the sooner they can return to work.
Ms Berejiklian’s calls for support from businesses weren’t the first. Australian business leaders and the Business Council of Australia met with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg at a roundtable in early July to discuss ways they could help fast-track, which resulted in BCA issuing a vaccination plan of its own.
However, industries have been largely hesitant to respond. Australia’s major banks were among the first to initiate vaccination programs of their own, when Westpac and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia announced last week that they would roll out programs to see to the inoculation of their staff and families as soon as this week.
At Deloitte, where the firm’s leadership has recently cast an acute focus on offering its staff non-financial work benefits, vaccine leave has also been added to the list, along with plans to roll out a vaccine program of its own.
“We are strongly encouraging our people to get vaccinated, supporting them in this with vaccination leave, and are planning to implement a focused vaccination program for employees, dependent, of course, on vaccine availability and government guidelines,” a Deloitte spokesman told Accountants Daily.
“Deloitte believes that a focus on sourcing vaccine supplies, broadening and strengthening vaccine distribution networks, and providing meaningful incentives for vaccinated citizens will enable Australia to reopen our internal and external borders as quickly as possible.”
A senior staffer close to the leadership at Deloitte, however, said the firm doesn’t currently have a view on incentives for staff.
Among the big four’s Australian outposts, PwC is the only one yet to have established even informal vaccination arrangements. A senior staffer there, though, said that planning is underway.
“Our commitment to health and safety has been paramount — to keep our people safe, ensure compliance with all health and safety laws, and create a work environment where everyone feels safe and belongs. That commitment continues and will be the driving principle in how we support our people to make the choice that works for them,” she said.
“PwC recognises the important education role played by our senior leaders in discussion of the benefits of vaccination.
“We believe there should be strong focus on and support for comprehensive education and communication so people understand the benefits of vaccination to them personally and to the community.”
Meanwhile, at KPMG, staffers have been offered time off during work hours to get the jab. A senior staffer close to the firm’s leadership told Accountants Daily that they, too, plan to offer an on-site vaccine program of their own.
KPMG’s vaccine plans are still in early stages and are likely to be offered as booster shots, as the firm’s leadership predicts most, if not all, of their staff will have had both doses of the vaccine by the time they return to the office.
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