Recent Development
The Ministry of Labor and Social Security (“Ministry”) has paved the way for employers to request mandatory COVID-19 tests from their unvaccinated employees, with its announcement dated 3 September 2021 (“Announcement”). You may access the Announcement here.
What does the Announcement say?
The Ministry stated that employers are obliged to inform all of their employees about the protective and preventive measures against the health and safety risks that may be encountered in the workplace. The Ministry also requested employers to separately inform in writing those employees whose COVID-19 vaccination has not been completed. Employees who are not vaccinated after receiving such information must be notified by their employers regarding the possible consequences of a definitive diagnosis of COVID-19 in terms of labor and social security legislation.
Most importantly, as of 6 September 2021, employers will be able to request their employees who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 to have a mandatory PCR test once a week. The test results will be recorded at the workplace for the necessary actions.
Conclusion
The Announcement allows employers to request their employees who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 to undergo mandatory PCR tests once a week.
