The NHS is inviting over 45s to book their vaccines, with younger age groups expected to be invited in the coming weeks, because all the over 50s and those in high-risk groups in the UK have now been offered their first dose of the vaccine[i].
As more employees will be having the vaccine it is important for employers to keep track of which employees have had their jab to ensure the safety of their workforce, as well as their customers and clients, says Adrian Lewis from Active People HR.
Lewis says, “While it is unlawful to demand that someone is vaccinated to work, currently, some organisations will be strongly encouraging staff to do so. Some are even going as far as saying all new employees must be vaccinated.
“For those working in the health sector and public facing roles in particular knowing which staff have been vaccinated is essential for planning work schedules and preventing non-vaccinated staff meeting vulnerable people where possible.”
A “no jab, no job” policy has been adopted by several firms. Care UK is the latest, joining Barchester Healthcare and Pimlico Plumbers in insisting that all new employees get a Covid-19 vaccine before starting work at the company[ii].
Lewis says, “With the vaccination programme now reaching younger groups its essential employers have systems in place that can keep track of who’s had their jab, especially as lockdown is easing and people are starting to get back into the workplace.
“This is where digital technology can help. As part of our cloud based HR software we offer a feature called Activ Documents, where organisations can store records such as vaccination certificates, as well as other important work-related documents, centrally.
“This gives administrators access to an employee documents library that stores confidential employee documents and records securely off-site. It also enables them to stay on top of the records and send out reminder emails when documents expire. This is a useful feature for all sorts of work documents, but especially for the Covid-19 jab certificates.
“Currently people need two vaccines to achieve maximum protection, but it is likely to become a yearly event, just like the flu jab. The vaccine may also need to be adapted as new strains emerge. With different age groups always going to be at different stages in the vaccination programme, keeping track is important for keeping everyone safe.
“Activ Documents is a convenient tool for organisations to ensure they have all the documents they need for each of their employees, in one place, completely safe and secure. For employers who want their entire workforce to be vaccinated against Covid-19 every year, this system will be invaluable.”
For more information on the Active People HR software including the Activ Documents add-on feature visit: www.activpeoplehr.co.uk.
