Hundreds of Sunshine Coast health workers remain unvaccinated and could lose their jobs because of the Queensland Government’s order that all employees must get the jab.
As of 5pm Monday, 842 of the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service’s 8702 employees had no vaccination record and “were in the scope of the directive”, Queensland Health informed Sunshine Coast News.
They face losing their job if they can’t provide a valid reason for refusing the mandate.
A total of 464 had been suspended, while 376 were “on leave and do not need to become compliant until they are due to return from leave’‘. More than 320 exemption requests had been received.
The department said it was important to note that this data may change as vaccination records continued to be updated in coming days.
Across the state more than 4,000 unvaccinated health workers have been suspended on full pay and issued show-cause notices.
Like stories that inform, connect and celebrate the Sunshine Coast? So do we. Join an independent local news revolution by subscribing to our free daily news feed: Go to SUBSCRIBE at top of this article to register
The Health Department had set a deadline for the start of November for workers to have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccination or be kept away from their workplaces.
Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said more than 92 per cent of staff had been vaccinated to date.
However, more than 7,000 staff had not confirmed their vaccination status, with about 4,000 to receive show-cause notices and suspended on full-pay.
“We have a number of staff who will now go through a show-cause process, and we will put in place measures to manage any workforce shortages that might occur,” Ms D’Ath said.
Ms D’Ath said it was essential all frontline staff were vaccinated, to deal with the expected surge in COVID cases when the Queensland border is reopened next month.
According to Queensland Health’s HR policy suspension from duty is an administrative action taken for administrative necessity. It is not disciplinary action and is not to be used as a form of punishment.
It states that suspension should be used as a last resort after a decision maker considers all alternative duties prior to making the decision to suspend an employee.
The Public Service Act 2008 requires that before suspending an employee, a department must consider all reasonable alternatives, including alternative duties, a temporary transfer, or another alternative working arrangement, that are available to the employee.
