Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Big call bosses must make before demanding jabs

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 staff who 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.

"If you don't have enough prison guards and there's a riot, how do you put a price on that?"

Some major public sector vaccine mandates kick in this week, with teachers needing to be jabbed by tomorrow.

Seymour said vaccine mandates also had potential to foster resentment.

"We need unity and continuity, not division and disruption."

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?"

Private sector tightrope act

Dilemmas for bosses and workers over vaccine mandates are getting more complicated, employment advocate Danny Gelb said today.

But a simple risk assessment could make mandatory jab decisions easier and possibly save some drama.

Gelb said he was aware of employees recently in a variety of disputes with managers over vaccinations.

He said private companies wondering how to approach the mandatory vaccine issue had to make a simple comparison.

He said bosses should ask if a person was more at risk of contracting Covid-19 at work than when going out for regular daily activities.

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.

Another woman, due to past medical problems, wasn't sure if she could get the Pfizer jab.

"She couldn't get to a doctor during lockdown."

Gelb said the woman's employment was in jeopardy but she was finally able to consult a doctor, and decided to get her first vaccine dose.

"They've paid her while she waits for her second jab."

The vast majority of New Zealand's eligible adults have received vaccines, with 81.4 per cent already fully vaccinated.