Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Namibia Power Corporation (NamPower) has offered a N$1 000 incentive to encourage more employees to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
In a communique dated 17 February 2022, NamPower managing director Simson Haulofu said despite efforts, NamPower’s overall vaccination status remains low. As a result, the company introduced a programme which will award every fully vaccinated employee a once-off payment of N$1 000.
The incentive will be added to employees’ salaries and paid in that same months’ payroll. The programme will run until the end of June. Haulofu says creating a safe working environment that is without risk to the health of employees, is his key priority.
“Since April 2021, the Namibian government has been providing Covid-19 vaccinations nationwide and has been urging all Namibians to get vaccinated with the aim of achieving herd immunity. Similarly, in response to the government’s request, NamPower continues to relentlessly encourage employees to get vaccinated through arranging on-site vaccination services for employees,” he noted.
To receive the incentive, employees must be fully vaccinated, make a copy of the front cover and inside of their vaccination passport and submit it to their respective section secretary/administration officer.
“The copy of your passport must be submitted before the 15th of the month. The N$1 000 will be added to your salary (if the request was received by the 15th of the month),” Haulofu noted.
NamPower will soon launch an internal vaccination campaign as an additional attempt to motivate employees to stand together and get vaccinated. “Let us all play our part. We are stronger together,” he said.
NamPower is one of the few institutions implementing incentives to encourage vaccinations, while Letshego Namibia and the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) have compelled their employees to get vaccinated without offering any form of incentive.
Namcor earlier this year issued a directive to unvaccinated employees to provide weekly negative Covid-19 PCR test results. The letter, dated 17 January 2022, also stated that unvaccinated employees will have to bear the full cost of the weekly tests.
“In light of the above mentioned, you are being ordered to go home as from today, 17 January 2022 or to provide a negative Covid-19 PCR test result. Kindly be notified that if you are absent from the office after two days (forced leave) that absence will be dealt with according to disciplinary code,” read the letter from Namcor human capital executive Maryke Kröhne.
Namcor was then slapped with a cautionary statement by six employees who engaged their lawyers to challenge the directive. Earlier in the year, Letshego Namibia had also given employees until 31 January to get vaccinated against Covid-19 or face being banned from the workplace.
“Employees who are not vaccinated will not be allowed to enter the premises in the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy working environment, and should as a result strictly work from home with limited support,” Letshego CEO Ester Kali said in a circular.
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