Israel has become the latest country to crackdown on unvaccinated Public Servants by threatening them with dismissal.
Under new rules, the Civil Service Commission has the right to fire employees who refuse to vaccinate against COVID-19 or take a weekly test.
Civil Service Commissioner, Daniel Hershkowitz (pictured) has told Heads of Department and their deputies they now have the authority to decide whether or not to ask workers for documentation about their COVID-19 status, based on the work environment and the danger of infection to workers and the public.
Authorities will also be permitted to reassign workers who refuse to comply or send them to work from home.
However, those working from home will not fill standby positions or quick response roles, nor will they receive benefits for working overtime, among other ramifications.
The rules, laid down by a Commission committee in coordination with the Ministry of Health, are aimed at “preventing morbidity and reducing its damage, ensuring the continued operation of Government Ministries”.
“Information about workers’ vaccination status and the results of virus tests will be protected in a similar way to all other medical records about Public Servants,” the Commission said.
“They will have the right to appeal demands to provide the information, but if these are rejected they will be required to provide the data,” it said.
Earlier, Israel lifted its long-time requirement to wear face masks in outdoor public places, as the Ministry of Health reported that just 82 new people tested positive for the virus the day before.
Israel continues to lead the world in per capita vaccination rate, with 5,343,094 people having so far received the first shot, of whom, 4,969,853 have also had the second to complete the process; Israel’s population is 9.29 million.
Jerusalem, 20 April 2021
