As the prevalence of the COVID-19 Delta variant and consequential lockdowns continue to have a devastating impact on Australian businesses, employers are asking whether it is possible to mandate the implementation of COVID-19 vaccines in their workplaces to protect their employees and safeguard ongoing business operations.
SPC became the first Australian Company to mandate vaccinations for all its 450 onsite staff and visitors with other major Australian companies such as Qantas, Telstra, Westpac and BHP following suit in recent weeks.
SPC staff were given until the 15 September 2021 to book their first dose of the vaccination or risk being barred from ongoing on-site work. SPC took the view that mandatory vaccinations were lawful and reasonable having regard to the Work Health and Safety (WHS) obligations of the company and its status as an ‘essential service'. An investigation by Work Safe Victoria earlier this month exonerated SPC from any wrongdoing, confirming that the
