The Higher Risk Employees page, including the ‘Employees who may be at Higher Risk of Serious Illness from COVID-19 Screening Checklist’, has now been updated and is available on the COVID-19 employee website.
The Department of Health has released updated guidance in relation to COVID-19 on employment related matters.
The guidance outlines the following key changes:
- Pregnant women who are greater than 28 weeks’ gestation are included in the ‘higher risk’ employee categories.
- Advice regarding employees returning to the workplace including that managers may test or trial some arrangements in advance to ensure systems and ways of working are practical in the event of changed directions. Employees may be required to undertake different duties commensurate with their qualifications, training, skills and classification level for a period or periods of time. Managers should speak to their People and Culture Business Partner if they are considering making a change to an employee’s duties. However, where an employee can work from home they should continue to be offered the opportunity to do so. Where an employee requests to work from home, managers should consider the request and discuss it with the employee. Managers are encouraged to take a reasonable approach to determining the needs of their Department balanced with the needs of their employees. Further support is available on the Returning to the Workplace Safely – Frequently Asked Questions page.
- Where an employee’s child’s school or childcare centre is closed in whole or in part on the advice of Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, and they are unable to attend work or work from home because they are required to care for one or more of their children, paid special leave may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Approved by Karen Lowe