Following the successful opening of the first vaccination centre in Parramatta at the beginning of August, centres in Bankstown and Hurstville opened last week, with Blacktown, Cabramatta, Auburn, Liverpool and Campbelltown centres opening this week. Work is progressing to stand-up additional vaccination centres in other LGAs of concern in NSW over the coming weeks.

The pilot program is currently open on a voluntary basis to all CommBank employees, their families and members of their household, who live in the NSW LGAs of concern. Priority access is given to those in customer-facing roles. Bookings are then available for all employees who live in those LGAs, their families and household members.

The opening of the new centres coincides with the bank’s rollout of rapid antigen testing for branch staff in the same LGAs of concern.

The vaccination program is being run by CBA’s corporate health provider, Vitality Works, whose experienced team of nurses operate the bank’s annual flu shot service.

CBA plans to extend the program nationally as more vaccine supplies become available. A survey of more than 11,000 bank employees last week revealed that almost 90 per cent of staff intend to get vaccinated.

Commonwealth Bank Group Executive, Human Resources, Sian Lewis, said: “We know that preventative measures like vaccinations, and pre-emptive measures like increased testing, are the best courses of action at this time to help our community combat the spread of COVID-19. As an essential service, with one of the largest workforces in the country, we are committed to implementing safety and support measures to help keep our people, customers, and in turn the broader community, as safe as possible.

“CBA’s employee vaccination program will help speed up the vaccination rollout in NSW, and we are committed, as a bank, to do everything we can to support the rollout across the country.

“Additionally, our branch employees now have access to rapid antigen testing which is a great way for us to give our people peace of mind. While testing is voluntary, it provides our workforce the ability to detect and respond as quickly as possible to potential instances of transmission in our branches.”

“The vast majority of our people have told us they want to get vaccinated and that getting access to the vaccine at a convenient time and place will help them enormously. Our vaccination program, which is voluntary, will offer additional convenience so those wanting to be vaccinated can do so as quickly as possible,” said Ms Lewis.

In addition to the vaccination hubs and the rapid antigen testing in branches, the bank has had a number of COVID-safe measures in place since the start of the pandemic to keep employees and customers safe. This includes floor markers for physical distancing, masks, Perspex screens, hand-sanitising stations, capacity limits, and QR code check-in, while enhancing our digital offering to make more banking services accessible online.

“It’s taken tremendous work by our people to implement these new safety measures so quickly. It’s a testament to their commitment and dedication to continuing to be there for our customers and the community during this challenging time. I’m proud of their efforts and how the bank is contributing to broader community safety,” concluded Ms Lewis.