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Can I demand that my employees have the vaccine?

In most circumstances the answer will be no. It would be an infringement of their human rights. It could also be a criminal assault.

However where there is a high risk to employees of exposure to COVID-19, such as care homes and healthcare environments, you might be able to make it a requirement of their role to have the vaccine.

First, consider whether you need to have a blanket requirement covering all employees or whether only certain groups who work in the most high risk areas require the vaccine.

You will need to do a thorough risk assessment balancing the amount that the risk of exposure would be reduced against the interference with the employee’s human rights. Consideration will need to be given as to whether insisting on the vaccine is proportionate to the risk and whether other less invasive steps could be taken instead, such as maintaining social distancing, wearing a mask, washing hands.

Any requirement for employees to be vaccinated should be communicated clearly to employees and trade unions together with a clear explanation for why it is necessary.

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  • Hold a video call with the job applicant and ask them to show their original documents on camera so you can check them against the digital copies you have already received.
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What are the publicity requirements for Traffic Regulation Orders?

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In many scenarios created or affected by the pandemic, decision makers in hospitals and care homes will need to decide:

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Use of the MCA and DoLS due to Covid-19

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Delivering life-saving treatment

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The full guidance can be found here.

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