Westpac, Commonwealth Bank to Require Vaccines for Staff
Westpac Becomes First Major Australian Bank to Require Vaccines
(Bloomberg) -- Australia’s two biggest banks moved to mandate vaccines for all staff working at their offices and branches across the nation.
Westpac Banking Corp. and Commonwealth Bank of Australia on Thursday said they will require all employees entering a workplace in the eastern states of New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory to be fully vaccinated by the start of December. The same will apply to staff in other states by February next year.
“It is clear that the best way to keep our people safe and stay open for our customers is for people to be vaccinated,” Westpac Chief Executive Officer Peter King said in a statement Thursday.
Westpac’s move comes after a survey of more than 10,000 employees found that more than 90% said they were or wanted to be vaccinated, with only 4% undecided.
A spokesperson for Commonwealth Bank said the move was in response to “employees and customers who want certainty, consistency and confidence as the economy re-opens and life in our communities returns to normal.”
National Australia Bank and Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. are following state guidelines, meaning staff in the state of Victoria, for example, must be fully vaccinated to attend a work site.
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