INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

Back in the spotlight:

James Kenyon-Smith Employment and Industrial Relations Advisor

In Victoria, public health orders requiring vaccination have been removed for our industry.

Dating back to September 2021, these mandates prevented workers from entering and remaining on-site unless they had been fully vaccinated or had a medical exemption for COVID-19.

Importantly, these health directives took the decision away from employers about whether vaccination should be used as a measure to control COVID-19 risks.

The removal of these directives puts the onus back on individual workplaces.

Although not a requirement, vaccination policies have regained importance as a tool for managing the health and safety risks associated with COVID-19.

If you deem vaccinations necessary to control these risks in consultation with your workforce, you may consider implementing a vaccination policy.

The following guides vaccination policies and why you may wish to implement one.

What is a COVID-19 vaccination policy?

A COVID-19 vaccination policy establishes vaccination requirements for your workplace. A policy helps establish clear rules and guidelines around these vaccination requirements, assists your business in mitigating COVID-19 risks and provides a framework to manage non-compliance. Why have a COVID-19 vaccination policy?

The primary reason for having a policy is to control identified health and safety risks stemming from the spread of COVID-19. With this as the basis, a policy may then be relied upon where an employee, prospective employee or independent contractor is unwilling to vaccinate or provide their vaccination status.

Non-compliance with your vaccination requirements may allow you to prevent access to the workplace, not engage a prospective employee or provide a valid reason for termination.

How do I implement a COVID-19 vaccination policy?

Step 1: Conduct a risk assessment Different workplaces have different risks.

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COVID-19 vaccination policies

To understand the risk of the spread of COVID-19 in your workplace, you should conduct a risk assessment.

Step 2: Consultation

Because a vaccination policy is a tool to address health and safety concerns, an employer must consult with their workforce before implementing it.

Consultation must be done before deciding to enforce the policy.

The following may be required as a part of the consultation process:

Provide information to workers about the proposed mandatory vaccination requirement.

Allow workers to express their views about it.

Involve any health and safety representatives or safety committees.

Genuinely consider the views brought forward in making any decision. A failure to follow a consultation process may mean your vaccination policy is unreasonable and unenforceable. Step 3: Provide the policy to your employees, ensuring they know its requirements.

Before implementing any policy, you should allow sufficient time for those impacted to understand and meet its requirements.

This may require you to have a transition phase for employees to become fully vaccinated or receive a booster dose.

Where can I get a COVID-19 vaccination policy?

Master Builders Victoria has a template COVID-19 vaccination policy. Our members can tailor this as required to address the health and safety risks they identify in their workplaces.

If you wish to discuss your circumstances further or require a vaccination policy, please contact the MBV EIR team on (03) 9411 4555.

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