Can you reduce an employee's pay because they are unvaccinated?

Approximately 900 Queensland school workers suffered pay reductions after the Queensland government took disciplinary measures against them for being unvaccinated against COVID-19.

While the government prioritises the public’s best interest, including protecting them from the virus, what do interested groups have to say regarding the government’s action against unvaccinated workers?

Penalties against unvaccinated Queensland workers

The state education department confirmed that “teachers, teacher aides, administration staff, cleaners, and schools’ officers “are among those punished school workers for failing to obey health protocols, the report said.

According to the news outlet, the department noted penalties are being “individualised” based on a worker’s situation, but these are between $25 and $90 per week before tax. 

“But generally, (penalties) involve a small-scale temporary reduction of one increment of pay for a period of 18 weeks,” the education department said in a statement. 

The department also argued that the affected school staff have been disobeying the lawful direction of their employer, who enforces the chief health officer’s order to be vaccinated against COVID-19. 

“School staff were given ample opportunity to follow the lawful direction or provide evidence as to why they should be exempt from the direction, since the vaccination requirements were announced in November 2021,” the education department’s statement read, according to 7news.com.au.

Following the pay reduction, the department claimed that cutting a worker’s pay is “not an uncommon” measure to punish workers for disciplinary violations and said that the action only affects 1% of the school workforce, 7news.com.au reported. 

What do groups have to say?

According to the news outlet, the Queensland Teachers Union (QTU) stated that less than 1% of its 48,000 members “expressed concern” over the COVID-19 vaccination mandate. 

“Statistically, state school educators lead the professional workforce in vaccine uptake, continuing the selfless, hard work QTU members have delivered through the pandemic,” QTU said in a statement. 

Meanwhile, the Teachers Professional Association of Queensland (TPAQ) blasted the education department’s policy and described it as “unconscionable”.

“It’s unconscionable that imposing a financial penalty or any disciplinary measure would somehow be appropriate because these educators have not broken any law or engaged in serious misconduct in the workplace,” TPAQ secretary Tracy Tully told the Courier Mail.

Recently, workers unvaccinated for COVID-19 were permitted to return to work after a mandate was revoked on 30 June 2022.