Coronavirus: Hong Kong civil servants to get ‘two days off’ as vaccine perk in bid to boost inoculation rate
- Vaccination cut-off date to be announced this week and staff who have already received their shots will also be eligible, source says
- Authorities are hoping other employers will also adopt the policy
The administration will this week announce the vaccination cut-off date and staff who have already received their shots will also be eligible.
“They will have to get jabs before a certain date, and we encourage other employers to follow suit,” the insider said on Sunday.
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The civil servants will be eligible for one day of extra leave per Covid-19 shot.
Unions said it would be unfair if contract and outsourced staff were not included. Leung Chau-ting, chief executive of the Hong Kong Federation of Civil Service Unions, said these workers also served the government.
“If the government is going to roll out this vaccine holiday to benefit civil servants, then they should also include [the other workers],” Leung said. “For outsourced workers, their contract does not include sick leave. If they go on leave, they lose their wages.”
While health experts welcomed the policy, they also urged the government to come up with incentives for age groups with low vaccination rates, including the elderly.