​The Labour Department (LD) announced today (April 12) that the Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2022 (Commencement) Notice will be published in the Gazette on April 14 and will take effect on June 16 to repeal the provisions under the Employment Ordinance (EO) relating to a legitimate COVID-19 vaccination request (vaccination provisions).

     Ancillary to the Government's anti-epidemic measures, the vaccination provisions have been added to the EO pursuant to the Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2022 which took effect on June 17 last year. The relevant provisions stipulate that the dismissal of an employee due to non-compliance with a legitimate COVID-19 vaccination request made by his/her employer is not considered as an unreasonable dismissal. With the Government's removal of the statutory Vaccine Pass requirement earlier and Hong Kong society resuming normalcy in full, having consulted the Health Bureau and the Department of Health, the Government will repeal the vaccination provisions under the EO on June 16 after LegCo's full negative vetting period has run its course.

     "Starting from June 16, there will be no vaccination provisions under the EO, and any legitimate vaccination request made under the EO prior to the aforesaid date shall cease to have effect on or after that date," a spokesman for the LD said.

     For details, please visit the LD's homepage at www.labour.gov.hk or call 2717 1771 (the hotline is handled by 1823) for enquiry.

Ends/Wednesday, April 12, 2023
Issued at HKT 17:30

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