Some employers are forcing workers to take unpaid leave to attend vaccination appointments.
The Government is calling on business owners to be flexible, as a vaccinated workforce will greatly assist the economy.
It's emerged that some employers have told staff they'll have to take unpaid, or annual leave if their vaccination appointment falls during working hours.
Services Divisional Organiser with SIPTU Teresa Hannick says it's shortsighted of employers, while SIPTU's Darragh O'Connor says the issue has started to emerge in the childcare sector.
SIPTU wants employers to offer two hours paid leave for people to get the vaccine.
The Department of Enterprise says Employers are obliged to take reasonable steps to provide a safe place of work for their staff and says failure to do so could see an employee make a complaint to the WRC.
Delays
Dublin Chamber is calling on businesses to support their staff in attending their appointments, saying rescheduling will cause unnecessary delays to the vaccine rollout.
Businesses can play their part in supporting the vaccine rollout - today we are calling on businesses to be flexible & support their staff in attending their pre-scheduled appointments for the #Covid19 vaccination if they fall within working hours. Read our full statement below.
— Dublin Chamber (@DubCham) May 18, 2021
Mary Rose Burke, CEO of Dublin Chamber and qualified pharmacist, says: "What we are calling on businesses to do is to support their staff in attending their scheduled vaccine appointment.
"As the national rollout of the vaccine programme starts to call forward the majority of the working population for vaccination, it will begin to impact businesses in a way in which it hasn’t previously.
"We want employers to be clear and consistent with their staff from the start, that they can attend their allocated appointment, that they don’t have to reschedule. Rescheduling will cause unnecessary delays to the vaccine rollout.
"Wherever possible, we are calling on businesses to be flexible and to allow their staff to attend their appointments. We know in some cases this might be inconvenient, but it’s important that businesses, that employers play their part in reducing vaccine hesitancy, removing a potential barrier and helping to ensure the success and efficiency of the national vaccine rollout.
"Of course there is also a significant business benefit, as more and more people are vaccinated, more sectors of the economy can reopen, such as retail and hospitality, and we hope that a return to the office is in the not too distant future."
