Mandatory vaccination for workers for COVID-19 has been introduced at the national and state or territory levels for a range of industry sectors throughout Australia.
Workers across a range of sectors will need to show their employers they have:
✔ Received at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, or
✔ Proof of an appointment booked to be vaccinated to receive their first and/or second dose by a specified date, or
✔ Evidence of a medical exemption from by authorised medical practitioner.
Several state and territory health agencies now have public health orders that require some workers to be vaccinated, in particular those considered to be working in high risk workplaces.
So which industries are impacted and what does this mean for employers for documentation management.
Mandatory vaccination of residential aged care workers – National mandate
Residential aged care workers throughout Australia must have received at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine from 17 September 2021.
National Cabinet determined this mandatory condition with providers of residential and in-home aged care services for all related staff including volunteers, contractors and subcontractors such as nursing and personal care staff, administration staff, allied health professionals (such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, etc.), students, kitchen and cleaning staff, laundry and garden staff.
Providers are now required to report weekly on the vaccination status of their workers, as well as residents, detailing:
✔ Total number of residents and workers at each aged care service and, of those,
✔ The number of residents and workers at each service who have received a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine,
✔ The number of residents and workers at each service who have received all required doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, and
✔ The number of workers who have authorised exemptions from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
Mandatory vaccination for Authorised Workers in Victoria
On Friday 1 October, the Victorian Government announced mandatory vaccinations for all authorised workers and providers who are not working form home. They will be required to have their first dose by Friday 15 October, and all are required to have had two doses of the vaccine, or a medical exemption, by 26 November 2021.
Mandatory vaccination of construction workers in Victoria
From Friday 24 September, it’s mandatory for construction workers throughout Victoria to have a had at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to enter a worksite. Where a worker hasn’t already had their first dose, they’ll need to provide proof of an appointment to receive their first dose by 2 October.
This mandate applies to any person who attends a construction site including construction workers, subcontractors, union officials, WorkSafe, Victorian Building Authority or others who attend for purposes of compliance and enforcement, building owners, delivery drivers who need to leave their vehicle and step onsite, and visitors including volunteers.
For more information regarding Victoria’s mandatory vaccination requirements, visit the Victorian Government website.
NSW COVID Vaccination Requirements for workers
NSW State Government has mandated workers in a range of industries participate in specified vaccination programs, or meet vaccination requirements to enter their workplace.
From 30 September, all health care workers must have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in order to work, and must receive their second dose by 30 November, unless they show evidence of a medical exemption approved by NSW Health.
Health care workers include those who work for a Local Health District, a statutory health corporation, an affiliated health organisation. the Health Administration Corporation, and the Ambulance Service of NSW. Other health care workers include: registered paramedics who transport, or assess whether to transport, people to or from hospitals or public health facilities, Ministry of Health staff, any people who work at a private health facility. This covers employees, contractors, visiting practitioners, volunteers and students.
Other impacted workers and industries required to participate in mandatory vaccination for workers in NSW include:
✔ Authorised workers – those who live in a declared local government area (LGA) of concern who are authorised to leave their LGA for work purposes
✔ Airport workers, including: airport and airline/freight staff, ground handlers and baggage handlers, caterers and cleaners, engineers, ramp workers, customer service staff, security and other contractors, international flight crew, health staff, defence force support workers, border control staff, law enforcement and biosecurity staff, and other related support service workers
✔ Construction workers in local government areas of concern
✔ Quarantine workers
✔ Transport workers in select industries
✔ Disability and early childhood care workers
More information relating to vaccination for workers is available on the NSW Government’s website.
Managing employee and worker vaccination documentation
While the mandate for vaccination extremely topical and polarising, it raises challenges for workers and employers to:
✔ Collect documentary evidence,
✔ Collate paperwork from multiple sources,
✔ Record vaccination dates,
✔ Monitor and report on vaccination status to relevant authorities, and
✔ Track and manage vaccinations and expiry reminders for booster vaccines.
A document management system can help businesses effectively and efficiently manage worker and contractor vaccination documentation.
You can use the system to request and verify uploaded worker documents, as well as track and automate the process for documentation for vaccination doses and boosters.
Documentation management without the headaches
Altora offers a great solution for businesses to qualify workers and track, monitor and manage vaccination documentation.
Workers can access the system remotely, anywhere, anytime to upload and supply relevant paperwork, and employers can validate, track and automate the documentation renewal process.
The system’s powerful insights and reporting also enable employers and workplaces to manage the vaccination status of workers, identify those who need to comply and those who have medical exemptions.
With a comprehensive dashboard and centralised digital storage system, there’s no need to manage multiple files and paperwork. You can also access real-time, powerful insights and reporting, giving you reassurance you are meeting workplace compliance obligations and readily provide reports to the relevant governing bodies and authorities.
It’s ideal for managing employee and worker documentation across a range of industries including health care and aged care services, construction, airlines and transport industries and more.
Talk to us
Get in touch to find out more about how Altora can work for your business. Call 03 9329 7130 or email enquiries@altora.com.au
