Oliver Lees
Business advocates in Sunbury and the Macedon Ranges do not agree with employers mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for their workers, but have agreed they can play an important part in speeding up the vaccine roll-out.
Debate surrounding mandatory vaccinations for workers has increased in recent weeks, after fruit and vegetable manufacturer SPC became the first business in Australia to introduce its own system of compulsory jabs for its workers earlier this month.
Prior to this, only vaccine mandates in aged care and health sectors have been set by the government under public health orders.
Business Kyneton president Kate Fairley said she was concerned that mandating the jab for staff might act as a deterrent, not an incentive.
“I think it really has a role to play in high risk sectors, like in transport logistics, airlines and in health, I support it 100 per cent,” Ms Fairley said.
“But in terms of other businesses, I’m not so sure. It makes more sense to encourage people and try to make it as easy as possible for them to get vaccinated.”
“If there is a large employer for example, one thing could be to bring a mobile vaccine clinic to the workplace to get everyone in one go.”
Ms Fairley said she supported employers providing paid time off for workers scheduling a vaccination appointment during work hours.
Sunbury Business Association president Michael Osborne said employers need to respect the personal choices of their workers, but emphasised they “should do as much as possible” to support their staff.
“If I’ve got a worker that needs to take half a day to book an appointment then I have no hesitation in doing that whatsoever,” he said.
“If you’re client facing, you need to be back in-person, as opposed to those who are all set up working at home. It’s a balancing act between returning to normal and individual rights.”
The Fair Work Ombudsman states that any employer that mandates COVID-19 vaccination may need to prove how this health and safety exception applies to its workers.
According to a survey of Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry members, 45 per cent of respondents supported mandatory vaccination as a condition of employment.
The survey found that one third of respondents were providing time off for their staff to get the jab.
