Ipswich City Council will not pay its staff or give them leave to get Covid-19 vaccine

Councils and businesses are offering extra leave or pay to their workforces to encourage workers to get the jab.

Ipswich City Council won’t pay its 1400 staff or give them extra leave to encourage them to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

Ipswich City Council says it won’t pay its 1400 staff or give them extra leave to encourage them to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced last week Brisbane City Council’s 8000-strong workforce staff will be offered an extra leave day or pay to do so.

“The way it will work is that everyone, depending on their employment type, will either get one additional day credited to their personal leave balance, or access to up to one day of paid time,” he said.

About 750 staff moved into the council’s new $125 million administration building in June.

“Having this extra time off added to your leave balance means it’s as simple as booking your free vaccine, letting your manager know you’re taking time out of your day to get vaccinated and going and getting that all-important jab.

“I know some staff have already gotten vaccinated, and I thank you for making that decision. You will also be rewarded and will also receive that time off credited back to you.

“It’s very concerning that Queensland has a higher rate of vaccine hesitancy than many other parts of Australia.

“We really need to address it and use multiple measures to ramp up the vaccination rate.

“Getting vaccinated should be easy and workplaces should be supporting employees who are rolling up their sleeves and boosting our vaccination rate.”

Some Queensland businesses are also offering incentives to staff and Labor leader Anthony Albanese has promised a one-off $300 cash payment to anyone who is fully vaccinated if Labor wins government before December 1.

An Ipswich City Council spokesman said no such provision is being considered by the organisation.

“Ipswich City Council is committed to promoting and providing health and wellbeing opportunities for the 1400 employees in our workforce,” he said.

“We have a range of programs in place for mental and physical wellbeing and mandatory and voluntary vaccinations for illnesses such influenza.

“At this point we are not considering a particular leave category or incentives for employees who are getting vaccinated for Covid-19.

“However, we encourage flexibility and staff are supported to use available personal leave or accrued flex time to attend a clinic for vaccination or other preventative medical measures.

“Council encourages our employees to get vaccinated in line with Queensland Health recommendations.”

The number of vaccines administered at hubs in the West Moreton region is lagging behind other similar sized regions, and some areas with smaller population bases, in Queensland.

So far 27,432 jabs have been delivered, with most of those coming at Ipswich Hospital.

This number doesn’t include vaccines administered privately by GPs and pharmacists or the federal government in aged care and disability facilities, or those who have chosen to travel into Brisbane to get their jab.

Read more stories by Lachlan McIvor here.