Chambers Ireland urges flexibility from business to support vaccination of staff
As the impact of the vaccine rollout continues to show promise, Chambers Ireland today (7 June 2021) calls on Irish businesses to be flexible in facilitating employees to receive their vaccine.
Chambers Ireland Chief Executive Ian Talbot said,
“As the National Vaccination Programme moves to vaccinate people in their 40s and younger, businesses in Ireland can show continued leadership by communicating their encouragement to staff and supporting them to receive their vaccine at the earliest opportunity.
Employers have demonstrated excellent commitment in their support of public health measures and have an important role to play in the months ahead. Vaccination is our only viable route out of the pandemic and we must act decisively to ensure it continues at pace.
By clearly communicating to staff that you support their vaccination and will be flexible in allowing them to take time off during working hours, you can reduce hesitancy and help society and the economy return to normal faster.
A safe return to the workplace and stable economic growth will only happen when there is a high level of protection among the population.”
Chambers Ireland is also calling for national support from the wider business community for UNICEF Ireland’s Get A Vaccine, Give a Vaccine campaign. The simple request is for a donation to UNICEF to support its ongoing work as it leads the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history.
Chambers Ireland Chief Executive Ian Talbot calls on the business community to support the global vaccine effort.
“As is now clear to us all, the extent of community stretches far beyond our borders in a pandemic. Ireland’s vaccination effort is only one part of a much greater whole, and more support must be given to global vaccination efforts.
If a global approach to ending the pandemic is not prioritised, the risk of a faltering recovery will increase. This has the potential to lead to entrenched loss of life and disruption to economies and supply chains for years to come.”
Peter Power, Executive Director of UNICEF Ireland said,
“No one is safe until we are all safe. COVID-19 spikes occurring around the world and the emergence of variants threaten us all. That’s why UNICEF has taken on to procure and supply 2 billion vaccines to vulnerable populations worldwide.
“It’s a mammoth task, but we are confident we can achieve it – with the help of the Irish public. We’ve launched the Get a Vaccine Give a Vaccine campaign to give every adult an opportunity to come together in support of global vaccine equity – taking part is an act of solidarity. Visit unicef.ie to join the historic movement to end COVID-19.”
ENDS
For further information, please contact Jonathan Baxter, communications and media executive at Chambers Ireland on 086 608 1605 or jonathan.baxter@chambers.ie.
Notes to Editors
Chambers Ireland has previously partnered with UNICEF Ireland in seeking more coordination at a governmental level to deliver an equitable global vaccine rollout. It followed research from the International Chamber of Commerce which found a potential cost of €7.6 trillion to the global economy if developing countries are not provided with adequate access to COVID-19 vaccines.
The two organisations have also previously called for businesses to invest in measures which support more family-friendly workplaces.
About Chambers Ireland
Chambers Ireland is Ireland’s largest business network, with 41 member Chambers across every major city, town and region of the island. Aligning our strategic priorities with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, our aim is to make places better to live, work and do business.
Chambers Ireland is also a member of the International Chamber of Commerce, branded locally as ICC Ireland. The International Chamber of Commerce is the institutional representative of more than 45 million companies in over 100 countries with a mission to make business work for everyone, every day, everywhere. Follow Chambers Ireland on Twitter.