Employers have 30 days to destroy vaccination records

WorkSafe have reminded employers that regulations regarding the collection, recording, holding, and use of COVID-19 vaccination information have expired.

Most farmers would simply have verified their employees’ vaccination status by visual means, such as sighting their phones or vaccination records, without physically retaining a copy for themselves. However, some may have decided to have taken and filed a copy.

The regulations were put in place to assist employers in managing COVID-19 risks in the workplace. Employers who recorded or held vaccination information specifically under these regulations have 30 days to destroy that information.

The regulations applied to employees, independent contractors, volunteers, and students attending the workplace. However, if employers are required by other laws to collect and hold vaccination information, the requirement to destroy the information does not apply.

Employers are also reminded that a person’s COVID-19 vaccination status is protected health information under other legislation such as the Health Records Act. The requirement to destroy the records does not apply to those employers who are permitted or required under other laws to collect, use, record, or hold vaccination information.

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