A Hong Kong company has warned employees that it will be denied bonuses and salary increases if they do not take the COVID-19 vaccine.
Hong Kong Football Club wrote in the strongly worded letter to staff that those who “refuse” the vaccine or cannot produce a medical exemption certificate “will receive no pay rise, no discretionary bonuses and no promotions going forward.”
The letter, which was circulated online, said that staff will receive a payment of HK$2,000 (US$258) when they get vaccinated. They’ll also be able to take a day off after each jab.
Hong Kong Football Club went even further in pushing employees to get vaccinated- no jab? no pay rise, no bonus, no promotions. (via a widely circulated memo) pic.twitter.com/08fM0NXwaE
— Alvin Lum (@alvinllum) June 1, 2021
When all staff are vaccinated, employees will get an additional HK$1,000 (US$129).
This is the first known case of employers punishing their staff for not taking the jab. Other companies, including the Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Limited which owns Peninsula Hotel, have also encouraged staff to get vaccinated by offering cash incentives.
Read more: MTR to give away 500 annual passes with unlimited trips to incentivize jabs
Despite Hong Kong’s efficient vaccination program, which allows the public to receive the COVID-19 jabs at dozens of hospitals and community centers for free, the city is reckoning with high degrees of vaccine hesitancy attributed to a lack of trust in the government and concern about potential side effects.
Uptake, however, increased over the weekend after local property developers put up a flat worth nearly HK$11 million (US$1.4 million) as the grand prize of a lucky draw to incentivize vaccinations.
On Tuesday night, the government said it would cease publicizing post-vaccine deaths unless evidence suggests that the fatalities are related to the jab. The announcements—and local media outlets’ subsequent reporting—has fueled vaccine skepticism, some say.
Of the 21 death cases in Hong Kong occurring within 14 days of getting the vaccine, none have been identified as having a causal relationship with the jab.
As of official data Wednesday, just over 21% and 15% of Hongkongers have received their first and second COVID-19 vaccine dose respectively.
