The majority of businesses want vaccines to be mandatory across all industries, according to a Simpson Grierson survey released today.

The survey was conducted throughout October and received 219 responses. It found that 69% of businesses wanted both current and future employees to be vaccinated and believed vaccinations should be mandatory in all industries, rather than just those that are classed as high risk.

The remaining 32% said they only wanted mandatory vaccination to be applicable for workers in high risk roles.

The majority, 74%, also indicated vaccination status would be a factor in hiring. Only 10% said they were not concerned whether someone was vaccinated or not.

On whether businesses wanted workplace visitors or contractors to be vaccinated, 61% said they would, while 32% said it depended on the work.

While the majority of respondents supported vaccine mandates, they were reluctant to implement policies without legal recourse from the government.

“While we would prefer all our employees to be vaccinated, we would only resort to compulsion if the law allowed it. Until then we have instituted a support and award system to encourage compliance,” said one respondent.

Graphic: Simpson Grierson survey

 

Simpson Grierson employment partner John Rooney said although businesses were keen to see staff fully vaccinated, they could face legal challenges without government legislation.

“In the absence of a government mandate, it is still open to employers to stipulate that certain roles can only be undertaken by employees who are vaccinated.

“However, it is recommended that any decision to do so follows a risk assessment, consultation with employees and any relevant unions, and considers alternatives to dismissal in relation to employees who decline vaccination.”

He said many survey respondents expressed concerns about the possibility of losing staff if they were to make vaccinations compulsory. They were also worried about unfairly discriminating against employees who were not vaccinated, whether this was due to personal beliefs or medical reasons.

BusinessDesk reported both PwC and Russell McVeagh will be introducing policies that restrict their offices to people who are fully vaccinated against covid-19.