Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (June 24): The Edge Media Group is giving a RM1,000 bonus to staff who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

If all 220 employees get fully vaccinated by year end, they will get another RM1,000 each.

Publisher and chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Ho Kay Tat said the vaccination bonus is part of the group's initiative to support the national vaccination programme to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Edge three weeks ago launched a marketing campaign — Get Vaccinated. Be Part Of The Solution, Not The Problem — to persuade people to get vaccinated.

To find out the level of intention among its own staff, the company did a survey, and was pleasantly surprised that 97% had registered to get their shots and 50% already had their first dose.

"I was expecting more to be hesitant and to wait and see," said Ho. "Because the response was very good, we decided to reward them with a bonus.

"We want all our staff to be vaccinated, so that everyone feels safe working together in the office when we are allowed to fully reopen," said Ho, who had received his first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. " We also want third parties who we meet in the course of our work to feel secure."

He added that, as shown in the UK and the US, getting as many people as possible to be vaccinated quickly is the only way to get rid of lockdowns, so that lives and livelihoods can return to normal.

Staff are also sent for PCR tests when needed and the company is also looking at providing quick DIY test kits, so that employees can regularly do self-testing.

But vaccination is still the best protection.

"The government has come out with a road map with three clear targets to be met in order for the lockdown to be relaxed over the next few months," added Ho. "We know what needs to be done, and it is now left to all of us, as individuals and businesses, to help get it done."

Ho hopes that other companies will find ways to get their staff to take the vaccine.

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