Qantas ramps up no jab no job debate

One of the country’s biggest employers has tackled the question of mandatory vaccination in the workplace head on, with Qantas telling its 22,000 staff they will need to get the jab to continue working for the airline.

Mandatory vaccination, or no jab no work, is set to be a major issue in all workplaces over the next 12 months, and a potential nightmare for employers, as both sides of the debate argue their rights.

The decision by Qantas to mandate vaccinations will have a major impact on business decision-making, with many likely to fall in line behind the aviation giant.

Prime minister Scott Morrison has now twice ruled out a government mandate, leaving businesses in a seriously difficult position. The Fair Work Commission has since given guidance in the so-called four tier system, under which it says some organisations can mandate workplace vaccinations, however manufacturing is not in one of the tiers where the FWC says a no jab no work mandate is acceptable.

Qantas will classify itself in the top tier, as it is dealing with international travellers, although whether the FWC will agree is a different matter. Food packager SPC, which is the other major company to mandate no jab no work, will not be in one of the top tiers.

Without a government mandate, employers are facing a nightmare scenario of being taken to court by either the vaccinated or the unvaccinated, depending on whether the employer allows the unvaccinated into work or not. They face being closed down for two weeks if the virus is detected at work. They face losing key staff, from either side, and face the vaccinated refusing to come to the workplace if it has anti-vaxxers there.