Published 11 Jun 2021, The Straits Times, SINGAPORE – Employers here have no legal power to force staff members to disclose their Covid-19 vaccination status or demand that they get inoculated. Experts and employers noted that while vaccination is strongly encouraged in Singapore, it remains voluntary, although there are several ways people can be encouraged to get a jab. These will come more into focus as Singapore begins rolling out Covid-19 vaccinations to the wider population, with bookings open to Singaporeans aged 12 to 39 from Friday (June 11). Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI) president Low Peck Kem told The Straits Times that unless there is a business need, employers should not compel staff to disclose if they have had a jab or take punitive action against those who do not get inoculated or refuse to update their vaccination status. “Even if there is a strong business need, such as needing to know in order to determine if the employee can travel for business or to deploy to higher-risk front-line facing roles, do explain clearly why the company needs to know the status and generally, most employees will comply,” she said. Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) chief executive Mayank Parekh said that bosses should not use non-vaccination as a reason to terminate employment as there could be medical reasons for why a staff member did not get a shot.
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