Covid vaccine: Tweed pizza shop Ned Kelly’s Pizza hits back at claims teen dismissed after jab

A Tweed pizza shop has responded to claims it dismissed a 16 year old worker because she got the Covid jab. WHAT IT SAID >>>

UPDATE WEDNESDAY 9AM: A Tweed pizza shop has denied claims it dismissed a 16 year old worker because she got the Covid jab.

Ned Kelly’s Pizza issued a lengthy statement on its business Facebook page on Tuesday saying it “did not sack Ms Georgia Smith”.

Georgia’s father Michael last week accused Ned Kelly’s of not giving the 16-year-old casual shifts after she got the vaccine.

In the statement, Ned Kelly’s said the lockdown had greatly impacted turnover, and rosters and business operations were being reviewed on a daily basis as a result.

“We did ask (Georgia) not to work one shift on the Wednesday 1st of September,” it read.

“(Her father) wouldn’t listen to our reasons at all.

“We sent him a 14 point text to his phone number and explained our concerns about our business suffering financially including that takings had halved in 8 weeks, lockdowns were continuing, we had to face reducing staff and we were reviewing our financial situation.”

The statement said Georgia was contacted on Tuesday, September 7 with an offer for a shift the following Sunday night.

On Tuesday, Mr Smith told the Bulletin that Georgia turned down the offer.

“She didn’t feel comfortable going back in,” he said.

“Obviously the (business owner) had got some legal advice and tried to back pedal.”

The business said it had received “threatening and abusive phone calls” which had impacted its operations.

The business has welcomed any official investigation to present its position.

UPDATE TUESDAY 6PM: A Tweed Heads dad who alleged his teenage daughter was dismissed from her casual job for the getting the Covid vaccine says the employer has now backflipped on the decision.

Last week, Michael Smith alleged the owner of the business his 16-year-old daughter Georgia worked at had stopped her from working shifts after she got the Covid vaccine.

Despite Georgia being rostered for shifts, her workplace wouldn’t let her work, Mr Smith said.

Since speaking to The Bulletin about his daughter’s treatment, the Tweed dad said Georgia’s former employer reached out asking her to work again.

Mr Smith said Georgia turned down the offer.

“She didn’t feel comfortable going back in,” he said.

“Obviously the (business owner) had got some legal advice and tried to back pedal.”

Georgia was inundated with support from the Tweed community after her story was shared, and even received 12 job offers.

Mr Smith said his daughter planned to wait until Covid restrictions settled before accepting a new job.

“We’ve had lots of encouraging messages of support from various community members and other local businesses who have kindly offered Georgia various roles,” he said.

“We have also been contacted by a legal firm who offered to represent Georgia so she can get her entitlements.

“It shows that people do understand this is a safe vaccine and it is effectively the way out of this pandemic.”

Mr Smith said he was continuing to pursue the matter with the Fair Work Ombudsman.

The Bulletin has attempted to contact the business owner for comment.

INITIAL STORY – SEPT 6

A TWEED Heads businessman alleges his 16-year-old daughter was dismissed from her casual job and “discriminated against” for getting the Covid vaccine.

Michael Smith said the drama started about a month ago when the owners of the business his daughter Georgia worked at began asking staff whether they had the Covid vaccine.

Last Wednesday, Georgia sent a screenshot of her immunisation record to her boss after she received her first dose.

Mr Smith said his daughter’s boss then asked when she was working next.

When Georgia told him she was rostered to work that day, the boss responded saying: “Oh.”

“They rang Georgia shortly after that and advised her that because she had the vaccine, they couldn’t allow her to come into the workplace anymore,” Mr Smith said.

“It was their belief that the vaccine puts out too many spike proteins and as such this could cause sickness and illness to her employers and their customers.”

Despite Georgia being rostered for shifts last Saturday and Sunday, her workplace wouldn’t let her work, Mr Smith said.

He said his daughter hadn’t worked at the business since last month.

Mr Smith called his daughter’s former boss on Saturday asking for an apology and for Georgia to return to work.

“I was happy for them to apologise and move on,” he told the Bulletin.

“They refused and said they had their rights not to have her back in the workplace.”

Since then, Mr Smith said Georgia’s former boss messaged him, saying the decision not to have her on any more shifts was “economic”.

Georgia Smith, 16, was dismissed from her job. Messages between her and her employer

Georgia Smith, 16, was dismissed from her job. Messages between her and her employer.

Mr Smith is the director of Medical Rescue Group – which has been developing mass vaccination roll out solutions for Australia and countries in the Asia Pacific region.

Given his professional background, he said his daughter was confused that she was being punished for getting the vaccine.

“She was really upset at first,” Mr Smith said.

“We respect the rights of everyone to their own choices, but you can’t discriminate against someone for making a choice that the government is promoting.”

Since sharing her story on a Facebook community group, Mr Smith said his daughter had received many messages of support and offers of employment in the Tweed community.

He declined to name the business involved but said he would pursue the matter with the Fair Work Ombudsman.

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