Employers will be authorized to sack employees without Covid-19 certificates

RIGA - Employers will be authorized to dismiss employees who will not have obtained their Covid-19 certificates by September 15, the Cabinet of Ministers decided Tuesday. 

The government also agreed to make vaccination against Covid-19 mandatory for medics, social workers and teachers, among others. 

The Justice Ministry in collaboration with the Ministries of Health, Welfare, Economics and Finance will draft the respective amendments to the Law on the Management of the Spread of Covid-19 Infection by July 14. 

The new provisions will oblige employers to protect people in high-risk groups from being subjected to increased Covid-19 infection risks. 

Employers will also be required to ensure an epidemiologically safe provision of services in medical, social care and education institutions, which means that the provider of services will have to have a valid certificate proving that the employee has either been vaccinated against Covid-19 or has recovered from the disease.

The central and local governments will be obliged to ensure that all services that are provided in person are epidemiologically safe. Persons without a Covid-19 certificate will be able to receive services in person only if the services cannot be provided remotely.

The new regulation will allow employers to make Covid-19 certificates mandatory for employees whose job involves an increased risk of infecting other persons or contracting the virus. Covid-19 certificates will also be mandatory for public servants providing services in state or municipal institutions.

Employees will be given until September 15 to get vaccinated and obtain the certificates. Those who will fail to get their certificates by the September 15 deadline will face transfers or sacking. 

The ministries tasked with drafting the new legislation have also been asked to assess the provisions' compliance with the constitution.