Social Welfare Department-funded organisations to implement Vaccine Pass from April 1; some require unvaccinated staff to ‘resign voluntarily’
社署資助機構4.1起實行「疫苗通行證」 有機構要求無打針員工「自動離職」
The Social Welfare Department announced last month that subsidised organisations and units in the social welfare sector would implement a Vaccine Pass measure. From April 1, all employees working for funded or subsidised organisations or units must have received at least one vaccine dose. Those who are unvaccinated and do not hold a doctor’s certificate will be unable to continue working. The Hong Kong Social Workers’ General Union conducted a survey of the sector, with more than half of respondents saying their organisations required employees who did not meet the vaccination requirements to ‘resign voluntarily’; more than 70 people said they would lose their jobs because they were unvaccinated. The Social Welfare Department told InMedia that it was an ‘undisputed fact’ that vaccination reduced severe illness and death, and that organisations should handle their own human resources matters. The Labour Department said employers and employees should clarify responsibility and compensation arrangements regarding ‘voluntary resignation’ to avoid unnecessary disputes.
社會福利署上月宣布推行社福界資助單位「疫苗通行證」措施，4月1日起所有在資助或津助的機構／單位工作的員工，須至少接種一劑疫苗，如沒打針又不持有醫生證明書，將不能繼續工作。社會工作者總工會（社總）向業界進行問卷調查，多於一半人表示機構要求不符合接種疫苗規定的員工「自願離職」，超過70人因無打針或將失去工作。社署回覆《獨媒》表示，接種疫苗減少重症及死亡是「不爭的事實」，而機構應自行處理人力資源事宜，勞工處則回覆表示僱傭雙方應就「自願離職」釐清責任及補償安排，避免不必要的爭議。