Gov't won't act against businesses requiring vaccination proof from workers

The Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sports will not act against businesses that require a vaccination certificate from their staff to work in the office, a spokesperson said to NU.nl. This is remarkable, as Dutch law prohibits requiring employees to disclose their vaccination status.

The Ministry said that it wants "employers and employees to work it out together", and that dissatisfied employees can always turn to court. The Ministry did add that employers can only ask for proof of vaccination, but cannot force an employee to disclose it.

"It is not allowed to make vaccinations mandatory," the Ministry said to NU.nl. "In some cases, an employer may agree in consultation with the employee to work from home or wear protective gear. However, it is not allowed to attach further consequences to whether someone has been vaccinated or not."

From a legal point of view, it is currently prohibited in the Netherlands to require employees to disclose their vaccination status. In the previous coronavirus press conference, caretaker Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said that he is looking into whether a constitutional amendment can be made to require a vaccination certificate from staff members in some sectors or situations.