Western Australia imposes mandatory COVID-19 vaccine order for over a million employees

Uncompliant employers could face fines of $100,000

BY Dexter Tilo 21 Oct 2021

Western Australia is expanding the state's vaccine mandate to a degree that Premier Mark McGowan said will "cover the majority of occupations and workforces within WA".

In the latest announcement from McGowan, he confirmed the mandate will be enforced in phases with two groups given a deadline to be double vaccinated, while a third portion will only be mandated in the event of a lockdown.

"The policy strengthens current mandates and covers the next groups of industries to be mandated, as well as a requirement for other critical workers to be vaccinated to be permitted to work in the event of a lockdown or similar restrictions," said McGowan.

The premier added that the mandate covers more than half of WA's workforce. The ABC predicted it would cover about 75% of the workforce and will apply to about 1.1 million workers.

The first group of employees are those in workplaces with a high risk of COVID-19 transmission. They need to get their first dose by December 1 and receive their second shot by December 31. Those workers include:

Border and air transport
Staff working or entering remote Aboriginal communities
Residential and non-residential community care services
Corrective services
WA Police
Fire and Emergency Services (excluding volunteers)
Abattoirs and meat processing

The following sectors have been added to the initial list of workers mandated to have had their jabs by the end of the year. Meanwhile, the second phase of the vaccine mandate covers "occupations deemed critical to the ongoing delivery of business and function of the community". Workers in the following sectors must receive their first dose by December 31 and be fully immunised against COVID-19 by January 31.

Supermarkets, groceries, bakeries
Restaurants, pubs, bars, or cafés
Post offices
Hardware stores
Childcare or family day care
Financial institutions
Critical infrastructure and services necessary to health, safety, and welfare of the community
Petrol stations, truck stops, and roadhouses
Public and commercial transport
Port operations
Commercial transport, freight, or logistics
Accommodation services at hotels, motels, and other accommodation facilities
Funeral or mortuary services
Building, maintenance, or construction

Teachers and staff at schools and boarding schools must be fully vaccinated by start of Term 1 in 2022, according to the announcement.

The last group of occupations will only be required to get vaccinated in case a lockdown or similar restrictions are imposed. They are the following:

Other click and collect retail
Bottle shops
Newsagents
Pet store
Wholesalers
Critical conveyancing and settlement agents
Government or local government services where remote work is not applicable
Some administrative services
Vehicle and mechanical repair services
Journalists and media services
Members of State Parliament and their staff
Roadside assistance workers
Critical forestry
Critical primary industries
Critical factories manufacturing, fabrication, and production.

According to McGowan, employees will need to present proof of vaccination to their employers, who will be tasked to record the evidence. Authorised officers will also carry out spot checks to ensure compliance.

"If relevant, employers that have unvaccinated staff working after the deadline run the risk of being fined up to $100,000," McGowan said. "Individual employees could also face a fine of up to $20,000."