Mandatory COVID vaccinations in the workplace: current rules and employer risks in Asia-Pacific

December 30, 2021

SYDNEY -- The global law firm BakerMcKenzie has addressed the question of compulsory vaccination against COVID-19 in a special report authored by Michael Michalandos, the firm's Head of Employment and Compensation Group, Asia-Pacific. The report covers 11 countries across Asia-Pacific - Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

In a preface, Michalandos says:

"After a prolonged period of remote working, employers in many jurisdictions are encouraging employees to return to the office where it is safe to do so.

"A key question employers globally now have is whether they can require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment.

"In Asia-Pacific, differing government strategies to tackle the spread of COVID-19 and different vaccination drives and timelines mean that the position differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

"This makes it particularly challenging for multi-national employers who often want to adopt a global position on such issues.

"In this publication, we aim to provide global employers with a snapshot of recent developments on mandatory employer COVID-19 vaccinations across 11 jurisdictions in the Asia-Pacific region."

Inquiries to Michael Michalandos, tel (61 2) 8922-5204, email michael.michalandos@bakermckenzie.com  (ATI).