Can employers insist on COVID vaccines to their employees or labourers?
With the introduction of COVID-19(Coronavirus Disease 2019) vaccinations from different brands, the slogan of ‘No Jab, No Job’ is gaining importance among business owners across the world. According to the HR experts from labour recruitment agencies Sydney, many employers are strongly recommending their employees to get vaccinated, even though it is not mandatory in the current situations. Read on to find more details about the above-given title and the benefits of early vaccination.
● Impact of COVID-19: Undoubtedly, COVID-19 has raised the global pandemic as it has been considered as one of the most serious public health issues in all parts of the globe. More than contagious disease, COVID-19 has brought a huge social and economic burden to all most all countries on the world map. More importantly, this dangerous disease has created an urgent need for effective vaccinations to minimize the spread. Many scientists around the world were working actively and brought the right vaccination to arrest this disturbing situation.
● The importance of early vaccination: The year 2021 has witnessed some tested vaccinations under different brands, which are now being given to people from all walks of life. COVID-19 vaccinations are being accelerated to minimise deaths as well as to safeguard more people from this dreadful disease. These vaccinations help the community quickly with their twin doses given with an interval of 4–6 weeks. The World Health Organization has recommended a few vaccines which are considered safe. In the workplace environment, many employers recommend their employees and casual labourers to get vaccinated in order to reduce the spread and to safeguard the other employees.
● What do employers need to focus on? From the viewpoint of employers, there are several factors they need to consider before asking their employees or the labour force to get vaccinated. Firstly, they need to check whether there is any specific law that states that an employee needs to be vaccinated. If the law is in force, employers need to state such details in the employment contract. Also, the employer should frame and implement a vaccination policy and update it from time to time.
● For casual workers: When employers hire labour-hire agencies or any casual workers, such workers need to produce proof of vaccination before entering the workplace. If any discrepancy is found, the employer can reject the casual employee, and such an action is considered to be fair in this pandemic situation.
● Seeking legal advice: Since the threat of COVID-19 is different from other viral infections in the past, continuous research has been going on across all the continents. Hence there are no consensus findings so as to get a unified treatment except to administer the vaccination. Hence, employers who have their workforces at a global level need to seek legal advice from the local law firm before making any stringent vaccine policy for their employees.
That being said, about the demand for vaccinations by the employers in their workforce, it is time for the employers to take some safety measures to protect the other employees who are vaccinated and others who are exempted from vaccination for valid reasons. A law expert from labour solutions Parramatta says that business owners now have a wide scope to make rules and policies regarding COVID vaccinations, so has to tighten their existing employee as well as the freshers who have been selected either directly or through labour-hire agencies.