BusinessNZ endorses proposed law changes that will provide greater clarity and certainty and reduce risks for businesses when making decisions about workplace vaccination mandates.

The plan will require vaccination of all workers at businesses where customers need to show a Covid-19 vaccination certificate, and for other businesses it will introduce a simpler risk assessment process to follow when deciding whether vaccinations should be mandated at their workplace.

BusinessNZ Chief Executive Kirk Hope said the requirement to vaccinate, and the simpler process for deciding on the requirement, would make the process for businesses more straightforward.

"Businesses seeking to protect their customers, staff and visitors to the workplace have found it very difficult to get clarity on what they can and can’t do. The potential for legal challenge of business decisions in this area has created much uncertainty.

"The BusinessNZ Network has worked closely with the Government and NZCTU on this set of policies, which when legislated will make workplaces as safe as possible and give confidence to businesses, customers, staff, suppliers and others," Mr Hope said.

Under the proposed legislation, employers will be required to keep records about workers’ vaccination status. Mr Hope said the requirement was needed so employers could have certainty about the health risks their business faced.

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