OCBC Bank to cover pre-event testing (PET) costs for employees who take their first vaccination by 31 Dec 2021

Currently, about 97% of the Bank’s employees in Singapore are fully-vaccinated.

OCBC Bank is encouraging its unvaccinated employees to take their first vaccination by 31 December 2021, upon which the Bank has offered to cover pre-event testing (PET) costs for such employees to give them peace of mind while they complete their full vaccination regime. 

This support is available to OCBC Bank employees in Singapore, including its subsidiaries Bank of Singapore, OCBC Securities, and OCBC Property Services. 

Currently, about 97% of the Bank’s employees in Singapore are fully-vaccinated.

The measure is timely, given that effective 1 January 2022, only employees who are fully vaccinated, or have recovered from COVID-19 within 180 days, can return to the workplace. Among this, 50% of those who are currently eligible to work from home will be allowed to head back to the office.

Unvaccinated employees, except for those who are medically ineligible, are not allowed at the workplace unless they have a negative PET result. Employees are expected to pay for PET costs and submit the results to the employers in order to report to the workplace.

Jason Ho, OCBC Bank’s Head of Group Human Resources, said: "We care for our employees, therefore it is important that we provide a safe and secure environment for them to work in, to enable them to provide the services that our customers need," while explaining the need to remain agile and adaptable in developing and refining policies for employees.

Additionally, OCBC Bank has added further support to its COVID-19 Vaccination Support Programme for employees who get their vaccine booster shots. These include:

• Day off on the day of vaccination,
• Private taxi reimbursement (to and from the vaccination clinics),
• Additional two days of medical leave without the need to provide a medical certificate in case of side effects, and
• Reimbursement of medical consultation fees in the case of side effects from the vaccination.

In a statement, the company shared: "The efficacy of COVID-19 vaccinations is well documented, and as the Bank prepare its 10,000-strong workforce in Singapore for a hybrid work arrangement when work from home is no longer the default, it is important that the health and safety of its employees is well taken care of."

Image / 123RF

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