Act leader David Seymour says frequent Covid-19 testing for workers is more practical, cost-effective and conducive to social cohesion than forcing employees to get vaccinated. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Act leader David Seymour says frequent Covid-19 testing for workers is more practical, cost-effective and conducive to social cohesion than forcing employees to get vaccinated. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Giving unvaccinated workers paid special leave is up to each Government agency but the Public Service Commission is confident the system is not being abused.
More than 150 unvaccinated Corrections staff have been given paid special leave. Oranga Tamariki won't rule out doing the same for unvaccinated staffwho can't be redeployed.
Frequently testing workers is better than wasteful and disruptive paid special leave for people rejecting Covid-19 mandates, the Act Party said.
Party leader David Seymour this evening said testing every 72 hours would create far less disruption than suspending workers.
But a 1News Colmar Brunton Poll today showed 74 per cent of those polled supported mandates for teachers, health care workers, port, border, and prison workers.
A Public Service Commission spokesman said if a worker mandated to be vaccinated did not get the vaccine, official advice was for agencies to discuss issues with employees in good faith.
Public sector bosses should also explain why only vaccinated workers could safely do the employee's job.
Official guidance also allowed for redeployment to be explored, in the same agency or at another Government agency.
The spokesman said paid special leave could also be considered as an option "for a reasonable time" to be negotiated between the employer and employee.
"There is no blanket provision allowing special leave," he added.
"It is a matter between the employer and employee and we have not seen any evidence it is being over-used."
Act leader David Seymour says frequent Covid-19 testing for workers is more practical, cost-effective and conducive to social cohesion than forcing employees to get vaccinated. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union today said paying unvaccinated staff to sit at home was lunacy.
"If you put off your vaccination, you're rewarded with a month-long paid holiday. If you hurry up and get your jab, you're called back to work," spokesman Louis Houlbrooke said.
"It's certainly not something you'd see at a private business, so why should public sector workers get special treatment?"
Gelb said a person who mowed lawns all day for a job and interacted with nobody would be at more risk of contracting Covid-19 outside of work than at work.
But a supermarket worker or other staffer frequently engaging with the public was often more likely to get Covid-19 at work than anywhere else.
Companies should carry out a health risk assessment to see if mandatory vaccinations could be justified by comparing these risks.
Gelb said some employment law specialists were struggling to understand statements Government leaders made at 1pm press conferences.
"All my colleagues are all up in arms. You hear one thing on the pulpit of truth but there's no documentation to back it up."
Deciding vaccine mandates can be tricky for bosses but an employment advocate says a risk assessment can help a lot. Photo / 123RF
Gelb said one person who was abruptly fired for not being vaccinated approached him for help.
