With the emergence of the omicron variant of COVID-19, governments and organisations have had to rethink how they deal with the new, more-infectious variant. Public Sector members are concerned about potential gaps in leave entitlements contained in the Employment Arrangements in the Event of a Health Pandemic (Directive 01/20) that could be exposed by the omicron variant. Together members have written to the Public Service Commission to highlight members' concerns. It is important that public sector members feel safe when they go to work. You can read the letter here. Members must have access to additional leave with omicron Public sector members currently have access to 20 days “Special Pandemic Leave”. This leave has been in place for many months, but now it's time for the public service to catch up to what members are facing today. With a more infectious variant, members are concerned that the potential of being reinfected with COVID-19 or the need to isolate to care for family and friends may exhaust the current Special Pandemic Leave entitlement. Measures must be in place when members exhaust their current 20 days of Special Pandemic Leave. An additional 20 days leave must be activated in the event of a public servant being reinfected with COVID-19, for example when there have been multiple infections in a household or a school or childcare centre has been closed and a public sector member is required to care for a child. Members require leave for vaccinations Members have also expressed concern that the minister’s comments about vaccination are not reflected in the Directive. We know the importance vaccination is playing in reducing severe disease and members should be encouraged to take the time to get their booster shot. As such, members are requesting access to paid time off, including travel time, to be vaccinated and also paid leave if an employee has an adverse reaction to a vaccine. These entitlements should be reflected in the Directive. Members require access to Rapid Antigen tests The changes to close contact rules means members need access to Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs). Public servants must have access to RATs when: A employee is a close contact of a diagnosed person, either at home or accommodation, and requires a negative test to return to work. A employee has had contact with a diagnosed person in the execution of their duties. A employee has worked with a diagnosed person in close confines for more that 4 hours. If a person requires a negative test to return to work and cannot access a RAT, they must be granted Special Pandemic Leave. Members are seeking these change be added to the Directive also.
The Chief Health Officer has issued a new Health Direction which requires employees who work in schools to have had two vaccines by 23 January 2022. If you have questions about the vaccine mandate for schools workers and not yet a Together member - join your union today. This is a new requirement and unfortunately there is not a lot of detail provided yet by the Department as to how this will be managed and implemented. What this new mandate means for schools workers has the been the focus of discussions for Together members employed in schools in the recent weeks. We know that being vaccinated against COVID-19 is one way to keep us safe, there are also other important considerations about ensuring everyone is safe at work and at school. Union staff have been invited to attend stakeholder briefings about what this means and what will happen next – questions like: where should vaccination records be stored, how, how would you ask for an exemption are likely to be discussed at these stakeholder briefings Together members can access the Schools vaccine mandate briefings via the Together Schools website if you have missed any important information. Remember as a union member you can have a say on how Together responds to issues like vaccine mandates. Together is a democratic union, it's important members have a say about the union position on issues like the roll out of mandatory vaccinations in your workplace. If this issue or other matters in schools are important to you, now is a good time to become a Together member. You can join your union right now by clicking here.
