Westpac has become one of the biggest employers in Australia to institute rapid Covid testing for its staff.
The Big Four bank will introduce rapid antigen tests for customer-facing staff in the worst affected areas of Sydney, such as Canterbury-Bankstown LGA and at their service centre in Concord West.
Rapid antigen tests are commonplace in Europe, but have been used far less frequently in Australia.
In places like Germany, a rapid test has been required for unvaccinated individuals to visit shops and workplaces, while in the UK, so-called ‘lateral flow’ tests are used for health workers.
They deliver results in as little as 20 minutes, though they are less accurate than the regular PCR tests.
“We have more than 10,000 employees living in Sydney’s most impacted LGAs, with many continuing to support customers in branches with essential banking needs. Rapid testing gives our people the chance to get tested quickly and simply on our premises,” said Peter King, CEO of Westpac.
“With our teams across the country going in and out of lockdown, we have also expanded our workplace wellbeing program to offer more support to our employees and their families.”
The Westpac employee wellbeing extensions include paid leave for those being vaccinated, including the time that it takes them to recover from any side effects.
Mental health support is also being provided, with workers now allowed to block their diaries between 12-1 to go for a walk and take a full hour lunch break.
