Mandatory vaccinations for Woolworths staff to end

An important Covid-related rule is set to change for one of Australia’s most popular supermarket chains.

The group behind Woolworths and Big W has announced a major change for staff in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Thursday, The Woolworths Group revealed it would no longer require its employees to be vaccinated.

During the peak of the pandemic, staff had been required to be vaccinated, unless they had a valid reason for exemption.

After a review of this policy, the Woolworths Group consulted with its team members and changed its vaccine status from being a requirement to “strongly encouraged”.

Woolworths will no longer mandate vaccinations for its staff. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dean Martin

Woolworths said it had engaged with workforce health and safety representatives prior to making the change.

The Group’s chief medical officer, Dr Rob McCartney, thanked the team for playing a crucial role in the fight against Covid.

“High vaccination rates across the community have played a crucial role in Australia’s fight against Covid, reducing the severity of infections and delivering a return to greater freedoms with the continued easing of restrictions,” Dr McCartney said.

Woolworths Group chief medical officer Dr Rob McCartney thanked staff for playing their part. Picture: Steve Ryan

“Our team vaccination requirement was designed to respond to the health risks during an acute period of the pandemic, however, we have recently reviewed whether it is still necessary in light of high community-wide vaccination and the evolution in how we now live with Covid.

“Based on the latest medical information and consultation with our team members, we have made the decision to update our position to ‘strongly encourage’ vaccination for our team members, rather than require it,” he said.

Prevention of spreading the virus remains of utmost importance to the Woolworths Group, and a “number of common sense measures” will remain in place.

Across stores, customers can still expect to see perspex screens on manned check-outs, trolley disinfectant wipes and hand sanitiser stations at entrances to shops.

Some “unnecessary” measures will soon be phased out in stores, including screens between self service check-outs and physical distancing stickers on the floors.

Dr McCartney was hired by the supermarket giant as the coronavirus crisis began. Picture: Steve Ryan

Originally published as Mandatory vaccinations for Woolworths staff to end