A proposal has been published on the Government Legislation Centre website for a Minister of Health regulation declaring the state of epidemic threat at an end. Under the proposed regulation, this would take effect as of 1 July 2023. For employers, this will mean that many pre-pandemic obligations will once again apply.

Examples of these include:

Medical examinations:

  • a return to periodical medical examinations
  • the exemption from preliminary medical examinations enjoyed by people whose jobs involve administrative and office work and who hold up-to-date medical certificates clearing them for work in the relevant working conditions will cease to apply

Training:

  • it will no longer be possible to hold occupational health and safety training online
  • outstanding periodical occupational health and safety training will have to be conducted within sixty days of the day on which the state of epidemic threat is declared at an end

Holiday leave:

  • an employer’s right to place an employee on up to thirty days’ outstanding holiday leave due for previous calendar years on dates specified by the employer, without the employee’s consent and regardless of the leave schedule, will cease to apply

Miscellaneous:

  • company social fund obligations will apply once again (employer with a decrease in turnover or a significant increase in the burden on the salary fund):
    • making the main social fund deduction,
    • leave benefit payments
    • creating or operating a company social fund,
  • the option of serving notice of termination of a non-compete agreement once the employment relationship has come to an end under a special statutory procedure will cease to apply

Service of correspondence:

  • there will be a return to the rule that correspondence is considered served by law following two notifications of correspondence awaiting collection, to apply no less than fourteen days from the time the epidemic threat is declared at an end.

Working remotely

  • working remotely on the instructions of the employer will continue to be possible for three months from the time the epidemic threat is declared at an end – 1 October 2023.