The owners and management of KJ Scaffolding are not only encouraging their workforce of more than 100 people to get a COVID-19 vaccination. But are providing an incentive for partners or spouses to get the jab as well.
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KJ Scaffolding owner Phil Critcher said the company is offering $180 to each employee who gets vaccinated.
But the business doesn't want families to miss out and is offering wives and partners a $100 food voucher as an incentive to also get the COVID vaccine.
Mr Critcher believes other companies will offer similar incentives.
He said KJ Scaffolding continually works towards providing a workplace free of known hazards. And by encouraging employees to get vaccinated it will help minimise the risk of COVID spreading through the workplace and being taken home.
Mr Critcher said protecting KJ Scaffolding's workers and their families was part of the path forward beyond the present lockdown.
He said after he made the incentive announcement at lunchtime on Monday he started getting messages back immediately from staff wanting to accept the offer.
"The response has been very pleasing," he said.
"Many of our workers were planning on going and getting a jab anyway. But this has given it a bit of a boost and motivated them to do it sooner."
Mr Critcher said the company was fortunate that its client base provides it with a degree of stability and consistency of work.
He said during the present lockdown KJ Scaffolding has gone from having 80 to 100 workers in the field every day to 10 to 20.
"We are sharing what work we have around with everyone," he said.
Mr Critcher said the vaccine initiative will help it keep the remaining workload within the region steady. And if other companies in the Illawarra officer employees incentives to get vaccinated that will help things return to normal sooner.
"It is not just about our business," he said.
"It is about the whole Illawarra and getting the whole region rolling again."
The vaccine incentive is not the first time KJ Scaffolding has tried to protect its workforce.
In March 2020 it was one of the first businesses in NSW to introduce drive-through temperature testing.
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Greg Ellis
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
