Bass Coast Shire Council first to introduce no jab, no job policy

Bass Coast Shire Council is the first in the state to introduce a no jab, no job rule for all staff. Find out whether your council agrees.

Bass Coast Shire Council is the first in Victoria to introduce a no jab, no job rule for its 400 staff.

Under the new policy announced on Tuesday, every employee must receive their first jab by October 14 with the workplace being fully vaccinated by November 26.

Although some council staff are not considered authorised workers, Bass Coast has classified its entire workforce as ‘essential’.

It means those who don’t get vaccinated without a valid reason by the deadline, will be asked to take annual leave and then leave without pay.

Bass Coast is believed to be the first council in Victoria to introduce the rules.

Leader spoke to 15 councils across Melbourne and regional Victoria who said they would not be making vaccination mandatory for all staff.

But according to Bass Coast council chief executive Ali Wastie, most staff have already chosen to get the vaccine.

“We are looking towards summer, the tourist market and seeing our region full of concerts, food and events,” she said.

“Getting the jab is the one thing we can do to get our local economy back on track and our great state reopened once again.”

Other councils said they would adhere to the state government’s directives but wouldn’t be enforcing mandatory vaccination across the board.

Three councils in Melbourne’s east — Whitehorse, Stonnington and Maroondah — said they were working to implement the mandatory requirements for essential workers.

A Whitehorse spokeswoman said it would follow directions for all listed industries “according to our obligations as an employer and as the operator of various sites and facilities”.

“These currently include vaccination requirements for the construction, education, healthcare and personal training sectors,” the spokeswoman said.

Maroondah chief executive Steve Kozlowski said the council was working with its employees and contractors to ensure they comply with the mandate directions “as with all industries and organisations”.

Manningham Council spokeswoman Kerryn Paterson said the council was also following directions from the state government and encouraging employees to get vacinnated “as soon as they are able to”.

Other councils plan to offer incentives to encourage vaccination.

Mornington Peninsula Shire is giving staff paid leave to get vaccinated.

A council spokeswoman said the organisation was working on a plan to reopen its services once Victoria hit its vaccine milestones.

Some south east councils have adopted a similar approach.

A Kingston spokeswoman said only staff with an authorised worker permit must be vaccinated.

A Bayside Council spokeswoman said staff who work in the mandated sectors, including all authorised workers, were required to be vaccinated within the deadlines and dosage requirements set by the chief health officer.

Frankston Council chief executive Phil Cantillon said the organisation was also following state government requirements.

Knox Council chief executive Bruce Dobson said it was also applying the health orders regarding mandatory vaccinations for the various categories of workers directed by the Chief Health Officer.

Yarra Ranges Council’s corporate services director Andrew Hilson said the council would continue to be guided by State Government advice on mandatory vaccinations.

He said under current guidance, council employees working in construction (including civil works, building inspections and surveying), early childhood and childcare centre staff, maternal and child health and immunisation nurses, and all permitted worker permit holders, must be vaccinated.

“While it is not mandatory for all other employees to be vaccinated, council is urging all employees and councillors to get vaccinated and is providing leave entitlements to enable employees to do so,” Mr Hilson said.

City of Greater Dandenong chief executive John Bennie said council hadn’t decided whether it would enforce the no jab, no job rule, while City of Monash and City of Whittlesea said they would adhere to public health orders.

City of Whittlesea chief executive Craig Lloyd said many of his staff were authorised workers and therefore must be vaccinated.

“At this stage we have not made vaccination compulsory for staff but we have been strongly encouraging them to get vaccinated including allowing them to take time out of their work day for vaccination appointments,” he said.

Ballarat Council boss Evan King.

It’s a similar situation in regional Victoria.

A spokesman for the Albury Council on the border of Victoria and NSW said there were no plans to “go it alone” with a vaccine mandate for staff and Albury would continue to follow government advice.

Ballarat council chief executive Evan King also said his council would continue to follow advice from the Victorian Government but urged staff to get vaccinated.

In Central Victoria, the City of Greater Bendigo says it is likely several hundred of its employees will fall under the authorised workers scheme.

In the state’s north, Shepparton council — which is battling another Covid outbreak — has introduced incentives to encourage vaccination.

But Greater Shepparton City Council chief executive Peter Harriott said it remained a voluntary option for staff.

“We’re not making it mandatory for staff, instead we’re making it an incentive to get vaccinated,” he said.

“If someone had their first dose by September 30, they were given a half-day of annual leave … the more people who get vaccinated the quicker we can get out of these harsh times.”