The Attorney-General’s Department and the Department of Health have brokered an agreement with Australian leading employer groups to support the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations, Senator Michaela Cash said that following a roundtable hosted by the two Departments, employers confirmed they recognised that workplaces were an important setting for reinforcing public health information on vaccines and that vaccinations were the quickest way out of lockdowns.
“Recognising that every business is different and has different capability, employer peaks committed to encouraging their members to have regular conversations with their workers in line with government health advice,” Senator Cash said.
“These conversations will cover how to best support employees and make it as easy as possible for those who choose to get the vaccine to get it when it is their turn, whether this is by providing access to paid or unpaid leave, flexible hours or otherwise,” she said.
Senator Cash said employer groups present at the roundtable represented businesses that employed more than 7.5 million people and included the Australian Industry Group; the Australian Chamber of Commerce; Business Council of Australia; and Council of Small Business Organisations Australia.
The Attorney-General said a wide range of guidance was available to help people understand their rights and obligations in relation to workplace vaccination and to help them make informed decisions about how they might choose to approach COVID-19 vaccination in their workplace.
“Participants noted the important role that workplaces can play in promoting and facilitating vaccination, and agreed to work together to ensure businesses have easy access to a comprehensive resource kit to assist them with communicating the benefits of vaccination with their workers,” she said.
