Fully vaccinated job applicants in the Philippines given advantage

A proposed new policy will grant employers the discretion to hire application based on their vaccination status.
By: | November 15, 2021
Topics: Employment Law | Health and Wellness | News | Philippines

Jobseekers who are fully vaccinated may soon have a higher chance of getting hired, once a policy takes effect that will grant employers the discretion to hire applicants based on their vaccination status. 

The Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) announced that there is now such a pending policy under the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF). This is expected to further increase the number of employees who are vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Once finalised, DOLE will issue guidance for the implementation of the policy, said Labour Assistant Secretary Dominique R.Tutay. “As it stands now the term used [in the resolution] is ‘may’ so it is still not mandatory,” Tutay, added, reports Business Mirror. 

READ: Employers can decline unvaccinated candidates in the Philippines

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had earlier said that it is legal for companies not to hire workers if they are not vaccinated. However, he added that employers could not fire staff who refused to receive their vaccinations.