The founders of leading local fintechs, including Prospa, Zip, Athena Home Loans and Honey Insurance will offer paid vaccination leave for all permanent employees, joining a campaign to encourage other Australian company owners to do the same.
David Hyman, co-founder and CEO of Lendi Group is behind the push, dubbed the Great Aussie Vaccine Drive, saying that getting vaccinated is crucial in protecting people and Australian businesses.
“Between family, work commitments and waitlists, it can be hard to schedule a vaccination time outside of traditional office hours and that’s why we are making it easier for people who are eligible and want to get vaccinated, to do so,” he said.
“Throughout the pandemic, myself and the broader executive team at Lendi Group along with other business leaders that we are uniting with, have pledged to act early and take steps that empower our people to protect their wellbeing and that of our customers, business partners and the broader community. This is just an extension of that commitment.”
The result is the Great Aussie Vaccine Drive, a group of Australian businesses that banded together to make it easier for employees to get vaccinated against COVID-1. The companies involved have pledged to provide permanent employees with paid leave accessible twice, for both doses, and also offer greater flexibility for casual employees to attend vaccination appointments.
Zip co-founder and global CEO Larry Diamond, Prospa co-founder and CEO Greg Moshal, Honey Insurance founder and CEO Richard Joffe, Domain Group CEO Jason Pellegrino, Athena co-founder and CEO Nathan Walsh, Valiant Finance co-founder Ritchie Cotton are among the founders backing the drive, which Hyman emphasises is not compulsory for all staff, but rather designed to make it easier for those who want to be vaccinated to do so.
“It’s our role as larger employers to think flexibly and make it easier for our people to access the Government’s vaccination program if they want to,” Sydney-based Hyman said.
Honey’s Richard Joffe said getting a vaccine is no different than giving up your seat on a bus, donating blood, or helping somebody cross the road.
“It’s simply part of being socially responsible and the only way for us to get the country back on track,” he said.
Athena’s Nathan Walsh said the ongoing lockdowns will only stop when Australia no longer trails the world on vaccination rates.
“We all need to do our part. That’s why at Athena we encourage all our staff to prioritise getting COVID vaccinations, and offer all the flexibility to do so. We call on all businesses in Australia to do the same,” he said.
Employers can get involved and join the pledge at greataussievaccinedrive.com which also offers resources to download.
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