Discovery South Africa announced on September 2 that vaccinations would be mandatory for all of its employees from January 1, 2022.
This follows increased debates around mandatory vaccinations among the workforce where employment and labour minister Thulas Nxesi encouraged companies to find a reasonable resolution that accommodates all parties.
According to Discovery South Africa CEO Hylton Kellner in a media briefing, the mandatory vaccination policy was debated internally for months but it was a decision that had to be made to ensure the safety of all employees.
“Discovery intends to move to a mandatory vaccination policy given the clear moral and social obligation, as informed by our core purpose to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives.”
Discovery has to date recorded 20 Covid-19-related deaths among its staff.
Kellner added that this decision was also consistent with the approach that the medical-scheme provider had taken from the outset of the pandemic.
Read more: Discovery Sandton sets benchmark for vaccination sites
Discovery currently employs over 12 000 employees across its healthcare, banking and financial businesses.
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