Taiwan urges for laws to grant unpaid leave days for vaccination

Minister of Labour Hsu Ming-chun said this is to encourage their staff to take the jab, adding that employers need not give paid leave days for employees getting vaccinated, but neither should the former write them off as absentees or ask them to take their personal leave on the days they get their shots. 

Hsu argued that the new regulation would help employers and employees address the issue of a “vaccine leave”, given that inoculation is part of the government’s pandemic-prevention policy. 

She added that employees who take such leave should not be subject to negative consequences such as a reduction of their year-end bonuses. It is therefore crucial that regulations be set in place as soon as possible to ensure both parties’ rights, Hsu said. 

The Ministry of Labour (MOL) has also advised that those getting the vaccine to take two days off – on the day they received the vaccine and the day after. 

READ: Malaysia mulls giving a day off for employee to get jab

Hsu said if the recipients were still feeling unwell after that, they may ask for additional days of leave based on their original vaccination records. 

The MOL also said that if two doses of vaccines are required, two days of vaccination leave can be given for each dose, meaning employers should provide up to four days of leave, according to The China Post.