Minister: Employers legally bound to pay for vaccinating staff

 

Employers are legally required to bear all immunisation costs of their employees, Human Resources Minister M Saravanan said today.

This comes as Putrajaya discusses whether Covid-19 vaccines can be provided to foreign nationals like migrant workers for free in a bid to achieve herd immunity.

In a statement this afternoon, Saravanan stressed that employers were responsible for such costs.

“Employers must bear all immunisation costs (for vaccines), including the cost of Covid-19 tests.

“This is in line with Section 24J (f) of the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990,” he said.

The section stipulates that employers are responsible for taking preventive steps to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, including by ensuring a portion or all of their employees are immunised against such diseases.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said yesterday that the cabinet will soon decide if the government will bear the full cost of Covid-19 vaccines for foreign nationals, just like for Malaysian citizens.

He explained that ensuring migrant workers were immune was instrumental in achieving herd immunity. An estimate in 2017 showed that there are more than three million documented and undocumented migrant workers in the country.

The government’s goal is to immunise 70 percent of the population - a threshold that studies say is sufficient to achieve herd immunity. Such immunity is supposed to slow the spread of Covid-19 and protect those who have not been vaccinated.

Khairy predicted that getting workers or their employers to pay for the vaccine could deter them from getting the jab.

Migrant workers - especially those working at construction sites and factories - have made up some of the largest infection clusters in Malaysia to date.

Mass Covid-19 outbreaks have also been detected at immigration detention centres where undocumented migrants are held.

The government has since mandated Covid-19 testing for migrant workers in the Klang Valley and several states.

In his statement today, Saravanan pointed to how employers have to bear the costs of testing their employees for the virus.

He said that the Peninsular Malaysia Labour Department, Social Security Organisation and Occupational Health and Safety Department would be visiting several workplaces beginning Monday, Jan 11.

“They will be conducting special operations at workplaces that employ migrant workers to raise the employers’ awareness on how to prevent the spread of infectious diseases,” he added.  - Mkini