Woolworths FINALLY drops mandatory staff vaccination policy amid crippling staff shortages and scales back other Covid-19 rules
- Woolworths finally drops mandatory staff policy for staff after over a year
- Supermarket chain will only strongly recommend employees get vaccinate
- Woolies is one of Australia’s first major retailers to drop mandatory vaccines
- Coles said the company had not made any major changes to vaccination policy
Woolworths will no longer require employees to be vaccinated as the major supermarket chain scales back ‘unnecessary’ Covid rules.
The retailer announced this week that staff who remain unvaccinated would be invited to reapply for jobs at the company for the first time in over a year.
Woolworths said that after a review into its pandemic response staff will be ‘strongly recommended’ to get vaccinated, rather than required to be.
Other Covid protocols such as plastic screens between self-service checkouts and physical distancing stickers will also be axed from stores.
Woolworths will no longer require its employees to be vaccinated as the major supermarket chain scales back ‘unnecessary’ Covid rules (pictured, a Woolworths employee in Sydney)
Woolworths first announced a vaccine mandate for employees in stores, distribution centres and offices over a year ago in October, 2021 (pictured, a Sydney woman is vaccinated)
Woolworths first announced a vaccine mandate for employees in stores, distribution centres and offices over a year ago in October, 2021.
Workers could apply for an exemption on medical or religious grounds while customers in stores were not required to be fully jabbed.
The supermarket is one of Australia’s first major retailers to revoke the mandate.
‘High vaccination rates across the community have played a crucial role in Australia’s fight against Covid, reducing the severity of infections and delivering a return to greater freedoms with the continued easing of restrictions,’ Woolworths Group Chief Medical Officer, Dr Rob McCartney said.
‘Our team vaccination requirement was designed to respond to the health risks during an acute period of the pandemic, however we have recently reviewed whether it is still necessary in light of high community-wide vaccination and the evolution in how we now live with Covid.’
Hand sanitiser and disinfectant wipes will remain at the entrance of stores.
The supermarket is one of Australia’s first major retailers to revoke its vaccine mandate (pictured, shoppers walk past a Woolworths store in Sydney)
A Coles spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the supermarket chain has not made any changes to its Covid vaccination policy.
‘Coles regularly reviews Covid controls, including sneeze-guards and vaccination requirements, taking into account expert advice, case numbers and consultation with our team members,’ they said.
‘Coles has not made any changes to its Covid controls at this time and we continue to encourage our customers and team members to maintain Covid Safe behaviours.’
It comes amid a surge in Covid cases as Australia experiences a fourth Covid wave just weeks before the festive season.
Cases rose drastically across the country with some states recording an 80 per cent uptick as several Covid variants run rampant.
A Coles spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the supermarket chain has not made any changes to its Covid vaccination policy (pictured, a Woolworths shopper in Singleton)
BA.5, BA.2.75, XBB, and BQ.1 are among the strains circulating in the community, driving up infections, and evading immunity from vaccinations and past infections.
Some health experts called for restrictions such as face mask mandates to be reintroduced raising concerns more drastic measures like lockdowns could return.
Chief medical officer Paul Kelly eased concerns saying it was ‘not likely’ lockdown would return no matter how high case numbers soared.
‘My advice at the moment is to be alert but not afraid, I think it would be a good way to look at it,’ he said.
‘Now is a time to consider if you are due for a vaccine, go and get whatever you are eligible for and if you are in the higher risk groups, make sure you have a plan to get antiviral treatments if you were to get infected.’
Advertisement