Leading by example: 100 per cent vax rate among business leaders

Friday, 15 October 2021

The chief executives and board chairs of 27 of our biggest businesses are all double-vaccinated, and are heading workforces that either have vaccination rates of over 90 per cent, or will very soon.

While the country is looking to Super Saturday to push up vaccination rates and shake off restrictions, vaccine programmes at our most successful companies have proved a resounding success.

If the wider population had the same vaccination rates as many of the companies in the NZX 20 Index, Fonterra, the big five banks, and health insurer Southern Cross, New Zealand would be among the most vaccinated countries in the world.

BNZ chief executive Dan Huggins gets his second dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. The leaders of all the big five banks are fully vaccinated.

Many business leaders are also pondering vaccine mandates for workers for certain roles, and have been pushing the Government to press ahead with game-changing technologies like rapid antigen-testing, and booster shots.

* UK recommends Covid-19 booster shots for over 50s

* Covid-19 vaccines now compulsory for 100 million Americans

‘Getting vaccinated is something every New Zealander can do to help us beat the virus, protect our loved ones and return to a normal way of life,’ ANZ chairman Sir John Key says. A recent ANZ survey indicated 92 per cent of staff would be vaccinated before Christmas.

Antonia Watson, chief executive of ANZ, says the bank is set to soon pass the 90 per cent vaccination rate for staff.

“I had my second two weeks ago and, to demonstrate what a small country we live in, it was my sister, who is a health professional, who gave it to me,” Watson says.

‘I wouldn’t be able to advocate vaccinations for the companies I chair, if I didn’t practise what I preach,’ says Patrick Strange, chairman of Chorus and Auckland International Airport.

“The vaccine and not lockdowns [are] the best way to keep people safe.'

ANZ chairman Sir John Key, says: ‘While the current restrictions are necessary, they’re taking an extremely heavy toll, and we’ll be paying the price for years to come.

“The faster we are vaccinated, the faster we can again travel, see friends and families, reopen our businesses and start to rebuild.”

Business leaders are more trusted than governments, this year’s global Edelman Trust Survey shows, with eight in 10 people expecting chief executives to lead on social issues.

That puts business leaders in a privileged position to advocate for science over misinformation.

‘Having an immune-compromised family member has been an added motivator for me and other family members. I want to do all I can to try and protect them and others,' says Kiwibank chief executive Steve Jurkovich.

Patrick Strange, chairman of both Auckland International Airport and Chorus, says: “Science makes it a very rational decision individually, and it's the right thing to do for the broader community, even if you lack that individual confidence.”

Many chief executives and board chairs have led internal vaccination programmes personally.

The companies have given staff time off to get vaccinated, or organised on-site vaccinations, to which staff could often bring family.

‘I am vaccinated for the people I love, for those who can’t be vaccinated, and as a business leader, to help Aotearoa recover quickly and build back stronger,’ says Spark chief executive Jolie Hodson.

Fonterra has held vaccination clinics at 14 sites from Whangarei to Invercargill, hosting 53 clinic days at which more than 7700 shots had been administered.

On one day in September in Auckland, 400 SkyCity employees were vaccinated, with their travel expenses paid by the company.

‘An informal internal survey suggests we will achieve a vaccination rate in the mid-90s,” says ASB chief executive Vittoria Shortt.

Chorus chief executive JB Rousselot says: “We are running webinars with Dr Siouxsie Wiles to speak to Chorus employees about the Covid vaccinations and answer any questions they may have.”

Many leaders, like Kiwibank chief executive Steve Jurkovich have shared intensely personal reasons they backed vaccinations, in addition to highlighting the science that shows vaccinations are the key tool in protecting the population against Covid.

“My wife has compromised immunity, so we went as soon as we possibly could,” Jurkovich says.

Southern Cross’ view has been based on the scientific evidence so far, which is that widespread vaccination gives us our best chance of recovering from the virus, protecting our vulnerable people and opening back up to the world,’ says Nick Astwick, chief executive of Southern Cross Healthcare Society.

Mike Fuge, chief executive of Contact Energy, also shared a personal motivation.

‘We are a science-based company, and we rely on clinical evidence to make decisions,’ says Lewis Gradon, chief executive of Fisher and Paykel Healthcare.

“My wife Julia and I both have elderly parents, and we want to protect them as much as we can,” he says.

“We also haven’t seen our children living overseas for almost two years now. If we are to have any hope of seeing them again any time soon it is critical we played our part and got vaccinated,” Fuge says.

Leaders in the top property investment companies are keen to get New Zealand open again so all their tenants can thrive again.

“There is no doubt that the only way get people’s lives, and more importantly their livelihoods, back to or close to normal, is to vaccinate our way out of this,” says John Dakin, chief executive of Goodman NZ.

Goodman temporarily postponed the demolition of one of its buildings, so it could be used as a vaccination centre.

Respect for vaccine hesitant staff was strong, with organisations like Westpac, Spark, Southern Cross Health Society and Kiwi Property insisting there would be no demonisation of people who could not, or would not, be vaccinated.

‘I often visit sites where New Zealand’s most vulnerable live and wanted to ensure I posed a minimal risk to our residents. I also wanted to keep my family as safe as possible,' says Scott Scoullar chief executive of retirement village provider Summerset.

But there could be changes ahead for unvaccinated workers, and some businesses already had certain roles that could only be filled by vaccinated people.

“When it comes down to it, we believe everyone is entitled to treated with fairness and respect, as is always our approach, and vaccination status is no different,” says Nick Astwick, chief executive of Southern Cross Health Society.

'I got vaccinated as I believe high levels of vaccination will enable us to save lives, prevent illness and open up our economy for the benefit of our employees and customers,' says Pip Greenwood, chair of Westpac.

Vaccine mandates for staff are unlikely to be needed at Southern Cross, but he says some workplaces are now only allowing vaccinated visitors, and Southern Cross would respect their wishes.

'I got vaccinated not only to protect myself, and the people around me, but also because vaccination is the only way we will get back to relatively normal lives,' says Prue Flacks, chair of Mercury.

“If there are team members who can’t or won’t get vaccinated we’ll work with them to identify ways for them to complete their job, while still ensuring both their safety and the safety of those around them,” says Clive McKenzie, chief executive of Kiwi Property Trust.

But leaders at our largest companies, many of which have been collecting vaccination data from workers willing to share it, say the world of work is changing fast.

‘I’ll be receiving my second shot this weekend,’ says Meridian chief executive Neal Barclay, pictured here in late 2020 with his grandson Bear Ariki Barclay-Reece.

Port of Tauranga has border workers already covered by the Government’s mandatory vaccination order.

Chief executive Leonard Sampson says: “About 95 per cent of the eligible employees received their first dose by the September 30 deadline, and almost all have had both doses.

“We’re in consultation with those that remain unvaccinated after the deadline, and they are not able to work in those roles while they are unvaccinated.”

Auckland International Airport chief executive Adrian Littlewood says he got vaccinated because: ‘It was the right decision, and one that is supported by science. I considered the need to do it as a leader, however I waited until all of our front-line staff had theirs first as it was a period of vaccine scarcity.’

Auckland International Airport had 270 employees covered by the Government’s mandatory vaccination order.

The airport would not hire any new staff who were not vaccinated. Contact had adopted the same policy.

Ryman Healthcare and Sumerset operate retirement villages and had moved fast to get staff vaccinated.

Gordon MacLeod, Ryman's group chief executive, says even before the Government mandated healthcare workers be vaccinated, 98 per cent of its 4900 workers in roles requiring vaccination were vaccinated.

“Earlier this month we introduced a requirement that all roles in our villages that had contact with residents required vaccination,” MacLeod says.

The company ran a vaccination programme for residents, 98 per cent of whom were now vaccinated. Older people did not need much persuading.

“They’re the polio generation,” MacLeod says.

Ross Taylor, chief executive of Fletcher Building says: “We are taking a hearts and minds approach to encourage vaccination uptake with an internal campaign focused on people sharing why they are getting vaccinated.”

The company had no vaccine mandate plans, but that could change, if it received specific requests from customers, or the government.

The majority of leading companies are working through risk assessments which could lead to some roles, and some workplaces, being closed to unvaccinated people.

Kiwibank’s Jurkovich says: “I would expect some companies and some roles in organisations to require vaccination, and some companies take a stance that no vaccine means no return to the physical workplace. I think that will unfold pretty quickly.”

Spark’s Hodson says: “We are currently undertaking a Covid risk assessment across our work environments. We will use this to inform how we best manage our health and safety obligations.”

Some unvaccinated workers may face health and safety requirements vaccinated staff do not.

Neal Barclay, Meridian’s chief executive, says: “For those who do not wish to be vaccinated, we may need to invoke extra mitigations to protect them, as well as those vulnerable to infection, and our wider workforce.”

Leaders of the big companies have also been pushing for Government action.

Mainfreight and Auckland International Airport were among the 25 companies who successfully sought emergency approval for rapid antigen testing.

Don Braid, managing director of Mainfreight, said rapid antigen-testing was common around the world.

“It's an added tool for the tool box in terms of getting to any infections early,” says Braid.

The next political push from business leaders is for vaccine booster shots.

Ryman's MacLeod says: “We think it is important for the Government to move on a booster campaign ahead of Christmas based on the wealth of international evidence that this will help protect against the virus.”