Telstra workers to get $200 for getting Covid-19 vaccine

A major Australian employer has offered its workers the reward if they get fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by the end of the year.

Telstra is offering its employees a $200 reward if they take up the Covid-19 jab “as soon as they can”.

CEO Andy Penn sent a note to all Telstra employees announcing each fully vaccinated employee will receive 200 ‘Appreciate points’ – the equivalent to $200 that can be redeemed for gifts, such as vouchers for Coles, Woolworths and Myer.

The points can also be used towards products like whitegoods, fashion, electronics and technology.

In an email, Mr Penn said this was a global emergency that had seen some employees lose loved ones – and even more separated from family interstate and abroad.

“We do it so well in times of times of crisis – in the face of natural disasters, through the hardships of drought and when we mourn in collective grief. And yet the battle against Covid is far from won,” he said.

Telstra chief executive Andy Penn wrote to staff urging them to get the vaccine so Australia can return to normality. Picture: Supplied

He added that by coming together again and choosing to take action all staff can all play their part and make a difference.

“Getting vaccinated will make an incredible difference – we can protect each other, lessen the financial hardship on families, and turnaround the toll on our wellbeing caused by the uncertainty and isolation from rolling lockdowns,” he wrote.

“Now is the time to act – to roll-up our sleeves and get vaccinated, or make an informed decision so you are ready when supplies are available to you. I’ve had the jab and I know many of you have as well, but it is something I urge all of you to do, as soon as you can.

“This is our best shot to get back to some sort of normality.”

The reward program will apply to anyone who has already been vaccinated and will be open until December 31, the note added.

While Telstra hasn’t yet made getting vaccinated a requirement for certain roles, it will continue to monitor the situation, Mr Penn added, particularly for people working in high-risk locations and with vulnerable people, such as aged care, hospitals and Indigenous communities.

Telstra said it was monitoring the situation for people working in high-risk locations and with vulnerable people, such as aged care, hospitals and Indigenous communities. Picture: News Corp Australia

Cash incentives are legal and sanctioned by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and Telstra’s not the only employee offering rewards to workers who get vaccinated.

Hospitality group Harvest Hotels said it would pay its 150 staff $100 each after they have had two jabs.

But employers who are offering incentives to encourage workers to be vaccinated run the risk of workers’ compensation claims for rare vaccine side effects, according to the peak body, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI).

Andrew McKellar, chief executive of ACCI warned that until government clarifies indemnity protections for employers, companies will remain cautious about offering “carrots”.

Mandatory vaccines

Fruit and vegetable giant SPC became the first Australian company to require its staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19, while major US companies like Netflix, Google and Facebook have also made it mandatory.

On Wednesday, Australian airline Qantas announced they will be making Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory for all employees if they wish to keep their job with the airline.

Australia’s largest airline said their mandate will come into effect from mid-November.

The airline said in a statement that frontline staff – such as cabin crew, pilots and airport workers – will be required to be fully vaccinated by November 15, while all remaining employees will need the jab by the end of March 2022.

It is understood there will be exemptions for those who are unable for documented medical reasons to be vaccinated, which is expected to be very rare.

While Prime Minister Scott Morrison slapped down a Labor plan to give everyone $300 who got their Covid jabs, it hasn’t stopped others trying incentives across the nation.

Qantas announced that all frontline staff – such as cabin crew, pilots and airport workers – will be required to be fully vaccinated by November 15. Picture: Mark Stewart

Comparison website Finder has revealed a give away of up to $100 million worth of bitcoin to reward Australians for getting vaccinated against Covid-19.

Through its Finder app, any vaccinated member can receive $5 loaded into their Finder Wallet toward the purchase of bitcoin.

With close to 20 million adults living in Australia, Finder could be giving away nearly $100 million.

With 15 million vaccinations administered thus far, there should be at least 7.5 million Australians who can already make their claim for their reward.

Fred Schebesta, founder of Finder, said the reward is designed to encourage people to get the jab.

“Vaccination is our path out of lockdowns so we want to do everything we can to support Australians to roll up their sleeves and get back to normal,” he said.

Can staff be forced to get the jab?

Mr Morrison has refused to make the jab mandatory and said any moves by Australian companies to mandate Covid vaccinations for staff must be “consistent with our laws and particularly our employment laws.

Employees in Australia are required to comply with directions given by their employers which are both ‘lawful’ and ‘reasonable’. In most instances, failing to do so may provide a valid reason for dismissal.

It is likely that if employers mandate vaccinations, the legality would be decided on a case-by-case basis. Picture: Dan Peled/NCA NewsWire

A “reasonable” mandate must be assessed on a case-by-case basis and legal experts advise that engaging with staff and unions is necessary before making a mandate.

To determine whether a direction to get a Covid jab is lawful, employers and workers could start by looking at public health orders for guidance.

For example, in Queensland, the state government has mandated the vaccine for certain workers, including aged care workers and those working in Covid-19 wards of hospitals.

Similarly, the federal government has mandated that aged care workers receive their first vaccination by mid-September.

Given these announcements, it would be lawful for an employer in these workplaces to direct an employee to get vaccinated.

Employees should take a close look at their enterprise agreement, employment award or employment contract to determine if any requirements around vaccinations are included.

The Fair Work Ombudsman has released updated information for employers after Mr Morrison rejected calls to indemnify businesses.

Fair Work Australia has outlined four tiers of work to help assess whether mandatory vaccination is reasonable. Picture: Mark Wilson

It outlined four “tiers” of work to help assess whether there’s a “reasonable” request. These include:

• Tier 1 refers to employees interacting with high-risk people, such as hotel quarantine and airport workers.

• Tier 2 relates to those working with vulnerable people, such as health care and aged care workers.

• Tier 3 is for employees with public day-to-day interaction, such as essential retail and supermarket workers. This tier falls into a “grey” area where case-by-case assessments for “reasonable” directions to get vaccinated are most likely to appear.

• Tier 4 is for employees with minimal face-to-face contact.

“It is not the intention of the Commonwealth or of the states and territories to create any special laws in these areas,” Mr Morrison said recently, adding that it was decision for the courts.

Originally published as Telstra workers to get $200 for getting Covid-19 vaccine