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All partners, staff, contractors, clients and visitors will soon need to be fully vaccinated in order to access any of the firm’s offices nationwide.
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PwC establishes vaccine mandate as states reopen
12 October 2021
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In an email to staff on Monday (11 October), Catherine Walsh, head of people and culture at PwC, told staff that they will need to be fully vaccinated in order to access the firm’s offices, of which some will reopen as soon as 1 November.
Offices in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Parramatta and Newcastle are each expected to reopen at different times, while outposts in the ACT and NSW are set to reopen on 1 November, subject to changes to government requirements, as part of a phased return to the office.
“From the date of reopening, all partners, staff, contractors, clients and visitors wanting to access those offices will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” Ms Walsh wrote.
“Similarly, partners, staff and contractors located in these locations will also need to be fully vaccinated to undertake any work-related travel, visit any client sites or attend work-related events. These requirements will apply to anyone visiting from another State or Territory.”
Ms Walsh said that phase two of the firm’s return to the office will see all offices open from 1 January 2022, though all partners, staff, contractors, clients and visitors seeking access to any of the firm’s sites will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Partners, staff and contractors located across the country will also need to be fully vaccinated to undertake any work-related travel, visit any client sites or attend work-related events,” Ms Walsh said.
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“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.
“We are delighted that 97 per cent of respondents in our recent COVID-19 Vaccination Survey (which captured 66 per cent partners and staff) indicated they were planning to be vaccinated by 31 December 2021.
“We strongly encourage you to get vaccinated if you haven’t already done so.”
PwC is the first of the big four firms to establish a hard-line vaccination mandate, while others have erred on the side of incentivising or encouraging COVID-19 vaccination.
Ernst & Young staff were offered two half-days’ vaccine leave in August, when planning for on-site staff vaccination was already underway.
At Deloitte, where the firm’s leadership has recently cast an acute focus on offering its staff non-financial work benefits, vaccine leave has also been added to the list, along with plans to roll out a vaccine program of its own.
PwC at the time was the only of the big four firms yet to have established any vaccination arrangements, but has been the first to emerge with a mandate.
For businesses in other industries eager for a widescale office return, vaccine mandates have been leaned on, too.
Law firm Gilbert & Tobin’s chief operating officer, Sam Nickless, told the AFR earlier this month that staff would be able to return to the office once 80 per cent of the over-16 population in NSW is fully vaccinated, but only if they want.
“As with last time and the experience after Melbourne’s lockdown, we are expecting that the number of people returning will be low initially and will grow as confidence builds,” Mr Nickless said.
Some have been more cautious, and are holding off on return strategies in the face of staff preferences for working-from-home arrangements, while others cite confusion over government advice as the source of delayed returns to the office.
Jane Rennie, general manager of external affairs at CPA Australia, said many questions remain unanswered, for both businesses and their staff.
“Uncertainty is unsettling and people are tired of disruption,” Dr Rennie said. “So, it’s not entirely unexpected that many said they intend to work mostly from home. That may change in the new year when things settle down and there’s more clarity around attending the office.”
Dr Rennie said ever-changing government health advice only intensifies confusion, as employers are unable to manage staff expectations.
“Across Australia, there’s no ‘one size fits all’ rulebook for working from the office. The situation is changing weekly and sometimes even daily,” she said. “This creates complexity for employers and means they can’t yet give their employees a clear picture of what to expect.”
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