Hospitality NZ keen for more detail on vaccine law

Hospitality NZ is keen to get more detail on the Government’s plan to mandate vaccinations for hospitality staff, but says the newly announced measures have addressed some of its concerns.  

The Government has announced that vaccination will be required for all workers at businesses where customers need to show COVID-19 Vaccination Certificates, such as hospitality and close-contact businesses.

“We’ve heard the calls from employers and employees to provide certainty on what roles need to be done by vaccinated workers under the COVID-19 Protection Framework,” said Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, Michael Wood. 

Hospitality NZ CEO Julie White says the intended changes to legislation announced on Tuesday clearly reflect Hospitality NZ’s feedback that employment laws would be breached if employers required vaccination, so a legal framework provides protection.  

“This law will create stressful weeks for hospitality staff and employers, but it will ease some of the bigger legal risks.   

“The law needs to eliminate the risk that any employer will be sued if they follow the Government’s framework for sacking unvaccinated workers.”  

She says, however, that the sector is wary of the effects and costs of the law as there is a lot more detail to come, and practicalities to sort out.  

“After months of low or no income, hospitality is on a knife edge. After everything it’s been through, trying to hold onto staff – it will now be asked to go through the trauma of sacking treasured career workers, and to pay for their notice period.”

Minister Wood says the Government is working with the CTU and Business New Zealand to ensure “robust guidance” will be ready well in advance for businesses.

 W: Read more detail in the full release from Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, Michael Wood