Under a legislative change, drafted by Armenia’s Ministry of Health, public and private sector employees may not be paid their wages and be fired for failing to comply with vaccination requirements or lack of PCR tests.
According to the change, if an employee does not have the necessary documents when showing up for work, the employer has the right not to allow him/her to stay at the workplace and not pay salaries until they submit the necessary documents, ARKA reports.
According to the amendment, the employment contract can be terminated if the employee does not fulfill his/her duties due to his/her refusal to work for more than 30 days in a row or more than 50 days within 12 months.
The changes will not apply to the President, Members of Parliament, Prime Minister, MPs, Heads of Communities, Judges of the Constitutional Court, Ombudsman, etc.
Under a Health Ministry decision, from October 1, public and private sector employees will have to provide the employer with a negative PCR test for coronavirus every 14 days, taken no later than 72 hours in advance. This new requirement was introduced amid the aggravation of the situation with COVID-19. Vaccinated citizens (fully vaccinated or those who received the first dose), pregnant women and people with medical contraindications for vaccination are allowed to work in offices without a negative PCR test.
If an employee does not comply with these requirements and does not show up for work, the employer has the right to fire them. If the employer works without meeting these requirements, then sanctions will be imposed on the company.
