No Jab, No Job? Implications of COVID-19 Vaccinations for Your Workplace

by AFIA

29 September | Macpherson Kelley

One of the most pressing issues for the business community is getting to the other side of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

One of the most topical questions for employers in this environment is what can be done to support the vaccination program and whether they can, or should, mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for their employees or others who engage with their businesses, including customers, suppliers, or even visitors to the workplace. It not only raises important work health and safety issues, but also involves other statutory and workplace considerations, such as employment, WHS and privacy laws, but also balancing issues of ethics and judgement.

In this on-demand webinar, Macpherson Kelley Principal Lawyers, Luke Gattuso and Adam Foster (Employment, Safety & Migration), and Kelly Dickson (Managing Principal Lawyer - Dandenong), join AFIA CEO, Diane Tate to discuss these complex issues and considerations for business in the context of recent moves by some of Australia’s leading organisations to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations in their workplace.

This webinar covers:

1. National Cabinet – the plan for re-opening Australia and expectations set by governments across Australia.
2. The law – employment, WHS, privacy, and other workplace-related rules and restrictions.
3. The various interests – business groups, unions, and other stakeholder views.
4. Practical approaches – how to conduct a survey of employees, how to do it correctly, and what to do with the data – rights, responsibilities, actions, and next steps.

Some other important resources available to members include:

• Presentation slides.
• A short video message from Dr Simon Longstaff AO, Executive Director, The Ethics Centre which provides a helpful overview of thinking about managing vaccination in the workplace.
• A short video message from Bruce Billson, Australian Small Business & Family Enterprise Ombudsman which provides a glimpse into the challenges and issues facing SMEs.