Unvaccinated employees are no longer required to take rapid Covid-19 tests at Standard Bank.
Standard Bank South Africa says it is exploring rehiring employees who were let go for refusing to vaccinate or presenting regular rapid Covid-19 tests.
This comes after the bank announced that it has repealed its mandatory vaccination policy.
With the withdrawal of the mandatory vaccination policy at Standard Bank, its employees no longer need to undergo PCR tests to gain access to its premises.
“Unfortunately there are a number of unvaccinated employees that we parted company with, after they declined the alternative of testing which had been offered to them. Following the withdrawal of the policy, we are engaging with these colleagues to explore re-employment opportunities, as we feel strongly that this is the right thing to do,” says Standard Bank South Africa CEO Lungisa Fuzile.
He says every decision the bank has made throughout the pandemic has been in the interest of its employees and clients.
The mandatory vaccination policy was, Lungisa says, introduced late last year when the Delta wave of the pandemic hit the country.
The policy, he says, was introduced to ensure the bank was able to meet its obligations of providing a safe working environment for its employees.
The bank’s decision to withdraw its policy also comes after the health minister announced that the wearing of masks would no longer be mandatory. Despite these latest developments, the bank says it supports vaccination for Covid-19.
