Lawyers Weekly Australia report...Leading employment and workplace relations lawyers have detailed how law firms and legal employers should react to national cabinet’s statement on vaccinations in the workplace.
National cabinet announcement
Over the past year, Lawyers Weekly has considered whether or not law firms can or should mandate vaccinations for coronavirus for their staff, and/or whether law firm offices could be vaccination hubs for those wanting to return to work sooner. Research from global law firm King & Wood Mallesons found that company directors overwhelmingly support mandates for vaccinations, at least in certain circumstances, and last week, fruit packing and canning company SPC announced it will mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all on-site staff and visitors.
In a statement posted over the weekend, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that the national cabinet had received advice from Solicitor-General Dr Stephen Donaghue QC on the use of vaccinations in the workplace.
Australia’s policy, the PM said, remains that vaccines should remain “voluntary and free”.
“Businesses have a legal obligation to keep their workplaces safe and to eliminate or minimise so far as reasonably practicable the risk of exposure to COVID-19,” the statement read.
