‘It's a big call’
Prime Minister Jacinda Arden has intrusted border employees to be vaccinated or face being deployed.
Speaking to TVNZ’s Breakfast yesterday, Arden insisted she wanted “everyone to be vaccinated on our frontline”.
“From Monday through until the end of April, that becomes the final window where if people are not vaccinated in that period of time then they are redeployed, they are moved on,” she explained. “And that was always the point we had to get to. We believe we have a health and safety obligation to people who are at the frontline in managed isolation. It's a big call, but we'd always had the view that people would have to be moved on at that stage."
According to the PM, just 79% of First Security employees have thus far been vaccinated against COVID-19 – with her insisting that this simply “isn’t enough”.
The issue of mandatory vaccinations in the workplace is a contentious one. While the vaccine is necessary to stop the spread of COVID-19, some experts worry that forcing employees to have the jab may cause further complications.
Speaking to HRD earlier this year, workplace bullying expert, Maureen Kyne, advised caution.
“This is the critical time for employees and employers to have really good conversation and communication,” she said. “It really requires an education around the vaccine so you’re able to inform your workforce about what this means for the workplace.”
What are your thoughts on required vaccinations? Tell us in the comments.
