The firms want to increase jab rates
Deloitte and PwC have issued vaccine mandates to their employees, telling them that they’ll need to have had their jabs in order gain access to the workplace. Deloitte Australia made the announcement last week, with chief executive Adam Powick saying that full immunisation against COVID-19 is needed to gain entry to the company's office and be a part of any events, the Australian Financial Review (AFR) reported.
All of the company's 10,000 employees, as well as contractors, are covered by the mandate, which AFR reported will take effect from January 1 at the latest. For employees who’re in some form of lockdown, the order will be enforced once Deloitte offices there are allowed to re-open. According to Deloitte, the company's flexible working policies will remain in effect even after offices re-open. Staff can talk to their managers about their planned set-up, which will be based on the worker's personal situation as well as client and team demands.
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PwC follows
Meanwhile, PwC, another one of the Big Four consulting firms, announced on Monday that they’ll be implementing their own mandatory vaccination policy. According to the company, PwC said workers in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, and Newcastle will need to be fully vaccinated if they want to be present on-site once offices reopen in early November. Consultancy.com.au reported that employees elsewhere should get the jabs by January. The mandate covers all partners, staff, contractors, clients, and visitors who need to access PwC's offices in Australia, according to the company's head of people and culture Catherine Walsh.
"The decision to require vaccinations is based on our commitment to the health, well-being and safety of our people, our families, our clients and our communities, as well government health directives," Walsh added as quoted by Consultancy.
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Previously, all of Australia's biggest professional services firms - regarded as the Big Four - have come together to hike vaccination rates in the country. The Big Four - namely PwC, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, and KPMG - published joint advertisements on the Australia's largest newspapers to promote vaccination, Consultancy reported. They also launched the "Vax Return" campaign - a joint web page that underscores the role of businesses in reaching vaccination targets, AdNews reported.
