The quickest way out of this health/economic crisis created by the Delta strain of the Coronavirus is via vaccinations, and employers such as Telstra are dangling $200 vouchers in front of their workers to get them jabbed ASAP.

The Australian’s David Swan revealed that “while stopping short of making the vaccine a requirement for workers, the telco will reward each fully vaccinated employee with 200 ‘Appreciate points’ – points equivalent to $200 that can be redeemed for gifts – as vaccination rates continue to rise.”

The points can be rolled into gift vouchers for whitegoods, fashion, tech stuff and electronics from big name retail operators such as Coles, Myer and Woolworths.

This is a voluntary initiative. And those who’ve already done the deed will get the $200 reward. “When Covid first hit we came together as one team to stop the spread,” said the Telstra CEO Andy Penn. “By coming together again now and choosing to take action we can all play our part and make a difference.”

Employers here and around the world have the option to use the stick or the carrot to get their employees vaccinated. And it looks likely, at least until the end of this year, that the lure of a reward or carrot will be the preferred option locally.

Interestingly, the French (famous for their “libertaire”) have ditched their historical traditions and simply banned anyone who won’t get vaccinated.

This from bmj.com sums up the vaccination demands in France: “On 12 July the French President, Emmanuel Macron, announced that mandatory vaccination would apply to anyone who comes into contact with vulnerable people, including doctors, nurses, office staff, and volunteers. They must be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by 15 September or will risk not being paid.”

But wait there’s more, and this hits the hearts of the typical Frenchie: “Macron added that from 21 July anyone wanting to visit a theatre, cinema, sports venue, or festival involving an audience of more than 50 people would need to show a pass proving that they were either fully vaccinated or had tested negative. From 1 August this requirement will extend to cafes, bars, restaurants, shopping malls, and long distance trains. After his announcement almost a million people, most of them under 35, booked their vaccination!”

The Guardian says big American companies have embraced the policy of mandatory vaccinations more enthusiastically than their British counterparts. US firms are pushing hard to get their workers back in the office.

“Wall Street bank Morgan Stanley will only allow double-jabbed employees into its New York office when they return in September; others will have to work at home,” the newspaper reports.

This morning on radio 2GB, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian surprised many listeners when she said even with “an 80% vaccination rate and zero cases” we still will have to live with restrictions!

That shocked a lot of people and underlines how important the vaccination rates are going to be. But in the short term, I suspect the carrot approach will dominate the stick. And many unvaccinated Aussies might be hoping that local companies copy the approach of some US companies. The huge financial business Vanguard is offering a carrot on steroids to get their team jabbed and back to work. What’s the carrot?

How does a $1,000 sound as an incentive? And all they have to do is prove they’ve been vaccinated. Only in America!