Armenian parliament to allow employers to fire unvaccinated workers

YEREVAN, Dec. 8. /ARKA/. A set of changes to Armenia’s Labor Code and the Law on Public Service, approved today by the parliament in the first reading, would empower employers to fire their employees for their failure to get vaccinated against Covid-19 or take a coronavirus test once every seven days.

The changes were approved by 55 pro-government MPs, while 23 opposition MPs voted against and 6 others abstained.

Ruben Sargsyan, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, said if an employee fails to present the vaccination certificate or a negative test for COVID-19, the employer would be allowed to ban the employee to report to work and not to pay his/her salary for that period.

According to the Deputy Minister, if an employee would not report to work for a total of 20 working days over a three month period for the same reason, the employer would have the right to terminate the contract with employee.

“The employer must notify the employee three days before making a sacking decision. In case of delay, fines and penalties are paid for each day overdue," he pointed out. 

Sargsyan stressed that the changes would not apply to the President, Prime Minister, MPs, heads of communities, the Ombudsman, judges of the Constitutional Court and a number of other officials.

He said the reason is that these positions are either elective, as in the case of MPs, or they are appointed under the Constitution.

Starting from December 1, 2021 working citizens in Armenia who have not been vaccinated against coronavirus must take a coronavirus test every seven days. -0-