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Virgin Australia confirms vaccination mandate for staff
September 17th 2021
Virgin Australia (VA) will require frontline and airport-based staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by November 15 with other office-based staff to be immunised by March 31 next year. Read More » Confirmation of the airline's vaccination mandate followed a two-week consultation with staff. VA group CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka, said it was the "right policy for the extraordinary times we live in" and added having staff vaccinated would keep people safe. “We have listened to all the feedback we have received, either directly or through unions, and made some changes to our proposed policy based on this feedback,” Hrdlicka said. "We know this will be difficult for some of our people, but we have a responsibility to do our part to protect our people, the community and our way of life. Vaccination is the way to do that." After consultations with staff and unions, VA has added reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses to visit a doctor to discuss vaccination concerns, included leave allowances for staff feeling unwell after being vaccinated and introduced a "clearer process for those who cannot be vaccinated due to medical or other reasons" to the mandate package. VA flagged its intention to bring in a vaccination mandate for staff at the end of August.
