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Covid-19 Information & Resources

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At HHG Legal Group, we take the welfare and wellbeing of our employees and clients seriously. It is a priority of HHG Legal Group to ensure our people are safe, feel supported and kept informed.

Here you will find all of our latest COVID-19 insights and key contacts listed below.

Our COVID Response Team are on-hand to provide legal advice and representation throughout these challenging times.

– COVID-19 Business Checklist
– Mandatory Vaccination – Legal Update

Updated 17 June 2022

 

FAQ’s

Can individuals get exemptions?

Depending on your occupation individuals may be eligible for an exemption. Potential grounds of exemption include a medical exemption, a temporary exemption or an exemption in the performance of a specific duty.

What happens if an employee suffers injury or loss as a result of the vaccination?

The Federal Government is currently developing a claims scheme to compensate individuals who suffer a moderate to significant impact as a result of an adverse reaction to the vaccine.

The proposed scheme is only available to individuals who have been administered a vaccine approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

Evidence requirements apply for making a claim under the scheme, which will cover the costs of injuries $5,000 and above.

What happens if an employee refuses to follow a direction to be vaccinated?

Businesses have an obligation to provide a safe workplace for employees and to comply with the law, including any Government directions. If an employee is not vaccinated by the relevant date, a business may choose to refuse an employee attendance at their workplace unless they have an approved exemption. Depending on the nature of work, the business can consider working from home arrangement or employing the person in an alternative role or work location. It should be noted that employees will not be paid if they are not able to work unless they are lawfully accessing annual, personal or long service leave. Employees cannot be forced to resign. In the event an employee can no longer perform their role, this may form the basis for termination or other disciplinary action.

Can employees make a claim against their employer if they are fired or put on unpaid leave?

If you are fired, stood down, forced to take leave or put on unpaid leave as a result of not being vaccinated the usual employment laws apply. You may have a legal claim depending on the circumstances of your employment, the unique requirements of your workplace and the nature of your dismissal.

Can persons claim discrimination on the basis of vaccine hesitancy?

Vaccination status in and of itself is not protected from discrimination. At this stage, businesses can choose to prohibit persons attending at their site if they’re not vaccinated (or for any other reason, provided it is not discriminatory). However, business should be careful about exercising this option as it might be indirect discrimination if the employee’s reason for not being vaccinated is protected. Businesses may wish to consider reasonable alternatives to vaccination such as masks and social distancing to protect their staff.

Can employers make vaccination mandatory even if they are not currently covered by a government directions?

Yes, businesses can introduce mandatory workplace vaccination policies even if they are not covered by government directions. Businesses will need to justify that any such policy is lawful and reasonable, such as for the protection of the health and safety of their staff. Businesses should also take into account whether other options are available and should be implemented such as masks, social distancing or working from home.

Supporting Western Australians for more than 100 years

The way you represented us, your professionalism, and support was excellent. I was really impressed with the way you spoke to the judge about the accident details and how you turned the case around. We understand both parties were at fault, but without having you in our corner the result would have been a lot different. It was a very stressful situation for us both, and the support you gave us is something we will remember. Thank you so very much.

DAVID

Dianne has been an incredible help through my separation and I really appreciate all the work she has done, her approach to it all and her high level of knowledge.

A.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your help and expertise in helping me out on my situation. You all have been very professional and easy to talk to, putting my mind at rest. I can’t recommend you and your services enough. Thank you HHG.

Anonymous.

We are delighted and more than satisfied with the service provided by Aimee at HHG Mandurah.

Ours was a complex estate transaction that I was a little nervous about. I needn’t have worried. Aimee explained the complexities of the process with great clarity with the fee structures being totally transparent and clearly itemised. I will be forever grateful to Aimee and the HHG staff for their professionalism and competence.

We could rest easy knowing we were in safe hands.

Grant.

Thank you so so very much from the bottom of our hearts for all that you and your team have done Aimee.

Can’t say I am not relieved to not see an email from you but I will be in touch soon to sort our wills out. Lesson learned on that part!

Kerrilee.

Thank you so much for all you have done to assist us through this very complex journey, Aimee. 

You made this process so much easier for us to navigate, especially with all of the really complicated legal requirements. You genuinely took some pressure off us when life was happening around us.

Candice.

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