Medibank mandates jab for staff as SPC cleared of wrongdoing

Medibank has become the latest employer to mandate its staff get vaccinated against Covid-19.

Medibank has become the latest employer to mandate its staff get vaccinated against Covid-19. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Paul Jeffers

Medibank has become the latest employer to mandate its staff get vaccinated against Covid-19, telling retail and office employees they must be jabbed if they want to attend the workplace or a work event.

The $10bn ASX-listed insurer joins Qantas, Telstra, SPC and food delivery giant Lite n‘ Easy in requiring staff to get the jab, with CEO David Koczkar saying the move reflected Medibank’s role as a health company.

“We’ve made this decision to help keep our people and customers safe and to support the immense effort of the nation’s healthcare workers,” Mr Koczkar said.

“The Covid pandemic continues to have an enormous impact on the health and wellbeing of people,’’ he said.

“It’s not only about physical health either, with the past 18 months taking its toll on the mental health and livelihoods of so many people. Our nurses are hearing this every day from customers calling our 24/7 mental health line. Vaccination is key to the path out of this and getting back to a more normal life.”

Medibank’s retail team members need to be fully vaccinated by December 15, while other employees must have had both doses by January 31. The mandate does not apply to employees who work permanently from home or who have an approved medical exemption, Medibank said.

It said frontline health workers were required to have one or both vaccine doses by November 1.

The executive leadership team and board of directors, meanwhile, will be fully vaccinated by mid-October.

“As a company with more than 1400 health professionals and a broader team focused on health and wellbeing each day, there is widespread understanding of the benefits of Covid vaccination across our business,” Mr Koczkar said.

“Education and communication across our workforce will continue to play an important role, and we are encouraging our people to speak to one of our doctors or their regular GP if they have any concerns. We’ll also continue to provide paid community leave for them to go and get their jab and donate to a charity of their choice when they do.”

Medibank’s mandate comes after WorkSafe Victoria cleared canned food producer SPC of any wrongdoing over its consultation with staff on its vaccine requirements.

SPC in August became the first non-health-related company in the country to mandate the Covid-19 vaccine among its employees, requiring all staff to be fully vaccinated by the end of November to gain entry to its sites.

The company is based in Shepparton in regional Victoria, which is currently in lockdown.

Commenting on the outcome of the health and safety regulator’s investigation, SPC CEO Robert Giles took aim at the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union over its criticisms of the consultation process for workers.

“It’s shameful that while our local resources were stretched, keeping our people informed and safe while also delivering care packages to their homes, that someone, most likely within the AMWU, sought fit to test us on a technicality rather than supporting our efforts,” he said.