The Qantas Group will require all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as part of the national carrier’s commitment to safety.
Frontline employees – including cabin crew, pilots, and airport workers – will need to be fully vaccinated by November 15, 2021, and the remainder of employees by March 31, 2022. There will be exemptions for those who, for documented medical reasons, are unable to be vaccinated, which is expected to be very few.
The policy follows consultation with Qantas and Jetstar employees including a survey sent to 22,000 people to seek their views on vaccination. The 12,000 responses received makes it one of the biggest single surveys on this topic in Australia.
The results showed that of those who responded: 89% had already been vaccinated or are planning to be, while only 4% were unwilling or unable to get the jab. Around three-quarters think it should be a requirement for all employees to be vaccinated and would be concerned if other employees in the workplace weren’t vaccinated.