My Vaccine Pass Lift and Workplace Vaccine Mandates

Mandatory Vaccine Pass use and workplace vaccine mandates have now been lifted for the majority of businesses and we’re now free of them – good riddance you might say. But for employers is it really that simple?

We have gathered here links to information to help you consider how your business will operate from here.

What WorkSafe says:

•    New Zealand now has high vaccination rates and reduced risk of reinfection for those who have recently recovered from COVID-19.

•    Employer vaccination requirements need to be used carefully (based on public health advice) and are not a suitable first response for managing COVID-19 in most workplaces.

•    Employers should undertake a risk assessment to determine their level of risk and consider the extent to which other controls can manage that risk.

Find out more on the WorkSafe site here.

From Employment New Zealand:

•    If a business or workplace isn’t covered by a government vaccination mandate, an employer can determine what controls can be supported by a work health and safety risk assessment or in relation to third party access requirements. This may include requiring work be done only by vaccinated workers.

•    Employers must engage with workers and their representatives in good faith. This includes when they are developing, implementing, or reviewing an employer vaccination requirement or other COVID-19 controls.

They have a useful Q&A section tackling some of the meaty questions to help guide you, here is an example:

Can someone who lost their job due to a previous vaccination requirement get their job back?
If someone’s employment was terminated and this took effect while a government vaccination mandate or employer vaccination requirement was in place, that decision still stands. A former employee does not have a right to get their old job back, or any other role with their previous employer.

Find out more on the Employment New Zealand site here.

Note: these are official government sites. We encourage you to engage with specialist professional advisors wherever possible to help guide you.