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If You Choose Not to be Vaccinated, Your Boss Can Deduct Your Pay for Regular COVID-19 Tests

Shawn Ambrose

2021-08-24 , 10:58 am

You’re probably used to your employer asking you to do things you don’t want to.

Don’t go home until your complete this project!

Don’t use the toilet more than once a week!

Don’t take breaks unless it’s to sleep at night!

Boss: These are all things I have said to you. Are you hinting at something?

Of course not, boss.

Now, depending on your stance on vaccinations, your employer can also make you get a swab shoved up your nose on a regular basis.

If You Choose Not to be Vaccinated, Your Employer Can Ask You to Pay for Regular COVID-19 Tests

A new set of guidelines will now allow employers to implement vaccination-differentiated measures.

This includes requiring those who are medically eligible but choose not to get vaccinated to pay for regular COVID-19 testing.

Employers may also exclude them from medical benefits related to COVID-19, such as insurance coverage.

Employers can also make unvaccinated employees undergo pre-event testing before they engage in work and social events, and reduce group sizes when unvaccinated employees participate in such events.

The new guidelines were issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), and Singapore National Employers Federation (Snef) yesterday (23 Aug).

The organisations said that these measures will “protect employees and make workplaces more resilient”.

COVID-19 Expenses Can Be Deducted From Salary

COVID-19 tests may not be the only thing unvaccinated employees will have to pay for.

Employers can now require medically eligible but unvaccinated employees to bear the costs of other coronavirus-related expenses, including the cost of test kits and stay-home notice accommodations.

“These expenses can be recovered either through salary deductions or by requiring these employees to pay the relevant service provider directly,” the tripartite partners said.

Employers can follow the Ministry of Health’s current guidelines, which recommend that unvaccinated employees be tested twice weekly, they said.

Additional Days Served By Unvaccinated Employees For COVID-19 Movement Restrictions Can Be Deducted From Leave Entitlements

The advisory noted that unvaccinated employees may be discharged later from COVID-19 treatment or may be served with longer periods of movement restrictions such as an SHN, as compared to vaccinated employees.

“In such situations, employers can require that the additional days a medically eligible but unvaccinated employee has to serve, be taken from existing leave entitlements,” it said.

If they have used up their leave, employers may require such an employee to go on no-pay leave.

Unvaccinated Employees Should Not Be Terminated Based on Vaccination Status Alone

The tripartite partners made it clear, however, that employers should not terminate any unvaccinated employee on the basis of vaccination status alone under any circumstances.

“However, employers may exercise their right to contractually terminate employment if unvaccinated employees do not comply with reasonable vaccination-differentiated workplace measures,” they said.

Watch this video to the end to know what your boss can’t do to you (non-COVID-19 related):

With all the benefits of vaccination, including protection from COVID-19 and more importantly, dining in at restaurants, we should all get vaccinated if medically eligible.

Plus, if you’re a citizen or long-term resident, you can now walk into any vaccination centre to get a shot with booking an appointment.