Insurance giant IAG has ruled out making vaccinations against COVID-19 compulsory for its staff, according to a report from the Australian Financial Review.

Nick Hawkins, chief executive officer of IAG, told AFR that his role was to “encourage” vaccination without making it mandatory.

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“I’ve been vaccinated, the senior executive team and the board have all been vaccinated, we’re encouraging that,” Hawkins said. “What I consider my role in this is to encourage, communicate, guide, structurally put in place things I can to do our bit because I think it’s really important that the country is vaccinated.”

The insurer has given its staff two extra half-days of leave to get fully vaccinated. Additionally, Hawkins told AFR the insurer would continue to internally stress the importance of vaccination.

“We have to be guided by the government and the health officials on this and, as we know, that’s not the position they’re communicating,” Hawkins told AFR. “What we can say is it seems like vaccination is the pathway to fixing it for our country.”