Flinders Uni staff get extra ‘vax leave’ as Christmas reward

An Adelaide uni says staff who “do their bit” for Australia’s vaccination effort deserve a reward, and their workers will be able to claim one for Christmas.

Staff at Flinders University will get two days of extra leave over the Christmas break if they have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

The university wanted to “recognise and reward all staff who have done their bit to help defeat Covid-19,” vice-chancellor Colin Stirling said.

Professor Colin Stirling, Flinders University vice-chancellor.

In the Christmas-New Year period, the university will operate with only a skeleton staff for three weeks.

Staff who can prove they have been fully vaccinated can claim two days “vax leave” so they need to use less of their regular holiday leave for that break.

Prof Stirling, whose academic background is as a geneticist, says Covid-19 is a great example of evolution in action with mutations producing new variants which are more effective at propagating itself.

“Every infected individual becomes a reservoir for further mutations and potentially new variants,” he said.

“A global push for high vaccination rates is our best defence against future variants.”

People lining up at a new walk-in COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Myer Centre in Rundle Mall. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

The Delta strain had shown a strategy of Covid-zero was becoming “less realistic” because contact tracing could not keep up.

“The signs are obvious that we will soon move to a new normal in which Covid-19 is endemic across Australia,” he said.

“Once again, our best protection is vaccination.”

The university will allow staff to take the two days’ extra leave at another time if they need to work over the Christmas break or have legitimate logistic delays to their vaccination.