‘Follow employers’ jab policy’

IT is up to employers whether to make the Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination in workplaces mandatory or voluntary, depending on their operational situation, says the PNG Employers’ Federation.
The federation is assisting members make their workplaces safe against the pandemic. Prime Minister James Marape said last week in Parliament that employers had the right to decide what was safe for their workplaces.
He also said citizens had their fundamental rights but they were qualified rights, which must be exercised within the context of the rights of others around them.
Federation executive director Florence Willie said the statement by Marape “should be translated into workplace and public responsive actions to secure the health and safety of employees, the workplace and the public”. “We believe that employers should have, in their workplace, vaccination policies that are either voluntary or mandatory, depending on their operational situation,” she said.
Willie said two template workplace policies had been developed: the voluntary vaccination policy and the mandatory vaccination policy. “We believe that all work environments should be vaccinated to give employees the confidence to coexist and companies, clients and investors the confidence to rebuild businesses.”