Following the National Cabinet meeting in Canberra on Friday 30 September 2022, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the unanimous decision to end the COVID-19 mandatory isolation requirements, commencing 14 October 2022.
Mr Albanese also announced an end to Pandemic Leave Disaster Payments from the same date, apart from continuing financial support for casual workers in aged care, disability care, Aboriginal healthcare and hospital care sectors.
The South Australian Business Chamber recognises the National Cabinet decision as a sensible approach, balancing the need to ease emergency settings while retaining protections in sectors where workers support our most vulnerable community members.
All employers outside the ‘high-risk’ sectors listed above must ensure they are observing existing obligations under South Australian health and safety law, taking all reasonable measures to maintain a safe and healthy workplace for their employees, visitors and others who engage with their workplaces.
This means consulting with your staff to keep your COVID safe plan up to date, and maintaining measures such as physical distancing, face masks, home-base work, good hygiene practices so far as reasonably practicable.
We recommend encouraging your employees to make sure their COVID-19 vaccinations are up-to-date, use RAT and/or PCR tests if experiencing symptoms, and stay away from work when unwell or displaying symptoms of any illness, not just COVID-19.
In some cases, employees may be able to continue working remotely, if they have a positive RAT/PCR result, or they have cold/flu-like symptoms. Of course, this will depend on whether the employee is well enough to still perform some aspects of their role, from home.
Employers may direct employees to remain away from work if they are reasonably satisfied the employee is unfit for work. Employees may access personal (sick) leave if unfit for work. If no paid sick leave is available, employees may be able to access other paid leave entitlements, by agreement with their employer.
In addition, the South Australian Business Chamber members may contact our Business Advice Hotline with any queries regarding the impact of changes to the mandatory isolation requirements. Please call us on 8300 0000.
