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With the vaccine rollout underway and an adjusted alert level 3 lockdown back on the table, a lot of those still working might be wondering what it all means for them.

Well, a new list of rules and regulations focusing on COVID-19 and the workplace has just been published by Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi.

The directive outlines the health and safety protocols that employers and employees are required to follow during the latest lockdown.

It’s an update on the existing regulations and aims to deal with any new problems that might arise – specifically those around vaccinations.

As per BusinessTech, the regulations have gone further than ever before to deal with the issue of vaccinations and whether an employer can make them mandatory:

It gives an employer 21 days to make a decision on whether it intends to make vaccination mandatory, taking into account the operational requirements of the workplace.

Employers will be required to develop a plan outlining the protective measures in place for the phased return of workers, as well as any plans for including vaccinations for employees.

The plan must include the following:

• The date the workplace will open and the hours it will be opening;
• A list of employees permitted to work and those who are required to work from home;
• The plan and timetable for the phased return of employees;
• The employees who have been identified as vulnerable;
• Ways of minimising workers in the workplace;
• The measures for the daily screening of employees, clients, contractors, and visitors;
• Procedures for employees who refuse to work due to fear of exposure to Covid-19.

The decision to make vaccinations mandatory should be explicitly stated in the plan and must include all the hows and whens for getting employees vaccinated.

But employees have the right to refuse vaccination on constitutional or medical grounds.

If this is the case, the employer is required to do the following:

• Counsel the employee, and if requested, allow the employee to seek guidance from a health, worker or trade representative;
• Refer for medical evaluation should there be a be medical contraindication for vaccination;
• If necessary, takes steps to reasonably *accommodate an employee in a position that does not require them to be vaccinated.

*This means that an employer must make any reasonable change that would allow an employee to keep their job, such as working offsite or from home, or in isolation at the workplace, according to the directive.

Of course, the employee might be required to wear an N95 mask.

If the employee accepts getting the vaccination, the employer must provide transport to the vaccination site and must give the worker time off if they complain of any side effects after the vaccination.

For more information about this, you can read the full report on BusinessTech.

[source:businesstech]