Vaccinated, restored or tested – Austria introduces 3G base in the workplace – News

For employees in Austria, the 3G rule will apply from November 1. The resistance is already programmed.

All about this: In Austria, the 3G rule applies from November 1 in the workplace: anyone wishing to work on the site must be vaccinated, recover from or tested. The federal government announced this in Vienna on Wednesday. This does not apply to people who work from home and employees who have no contact with their colleagues – such as truck drivers. Compliance with the new rule must be verified using random samples. If there is no evidence, there is a risk of administrative penalties of 500 euros for employees and 3,600 euros for employers.

This is the background: After the seven-day infection in Austria has been below 150 for weeks, it has increased in the past few days and recently reached 183. Nearly 62 percent of Austria’s total population is fully protected from vaccination against Covid-19 (Switzerland: 62.5 percent). The Ministry of Health expects to introduce a 3G base in the workplace to provide an additional protection mechanism against the spread of the coronavirus.

Thus comes the decision: “Initial reactions are very cautious,” says Eva Linsinger, head of internal affairs for news magazine Profile. This is also due to the current political turmoil in Austria. “The chancellor had to resign. So residents have other concerns.” However, implementing the 3G rule could be difficult. “I think the resistance will grow,” Linsinger continued.

Refers to regional elections in Upper Austria. There has been an anti-vaccination party in parliament there since the end of September. The desire to vaccinate generally decreased. A few people have been vaccinated for weeks and the effect is already visible. The number of new infections is increasing. That’s why I expect the resistance to grow with the 3rd generation controller. “

I expect the resistance to grow with the 3rd generation system.

How 3G should be controlled in the workplace: Regulation should be controlled by employers and employees, for example by job boards. However, according to Linsinger, many are wondering what this would look like in practice and how the controls for these controls would work. “Especially in large companies that operate shifts,” she points out. Unlike other countries that already have such regulation, unions in Austria support this regulation. This can make the resistance gentler.

This is the aim of the measure: The 3G rule is meant to encourage as many people as possible to get vaccinated after all. In Italy, the third generation rule sparked a vaccination boom when it was introduced. But the journalist is skeptical of Austria. “You can get vaccinated literally on every corner here: in supermarkets and fitness studios – getting vaccinated isn’t really that hard. And it’s still rare for anyone to do that.”

What happens in the event of non-compliance: Anyone who does not provide 3G evidence or, for example, refuses tests permanently, should expect consequences under labor law plus a fine up to and including termination. “I’m very curious, as are many experts, to see if this would be implemented so harshly,” Linsinger says. According to the decision, there is still a transition period until mid-November: if you do not have 3G certification during this time, you must wear an FFP2 mask at work at all times.