One in three Australian employers have fired unvaccinated workers

Almost one in three Australian employers have fired unvaccinated workers, while three in five employers say the vaccination status of candidates will affect their hiring decisions, according to a survey by Australian HR Institute. 

About three-fifths of Australian businesses have mandated COVID-19 vaccinations for their workers, and out of those, 76% of companies have mandated that all their staff have to be vaccinated. 

The survey of 760 human resource professionals also showed that 85% of workers in workplaces with vaccine mandates supported them while only 6% felt negatively about such mandates.

In 62% of workplaces, unvaccinated workers who do not have medical exemptions would not be allowed back to the office. These workers will be allowed back to the workplace in 16% of workplaces, while 22% of businesses were unsure what to impose.

To accommodate unvaccinated employees, one in five workplaces have created remote-only roles, while 8% of businesses have put such workers on leave, or stood them down. 

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For 61% of organisations, the wellbeing of the workforce was the number one stress, while 42% of employers were worried about the negative impact on workplace culture for staff who were split on vaccines, mask mandates and returning to the office.