Employers to Dismiss Employees Without Covid Vaccination Certificate or Testing Document

Starting October 14, a decree from the Armenian Minister of Health will come into effect, requiring employees to present a certificate of vaccination against coronavirus to their employers. In case they are not vaccinated, they must provide a negative testing result document every 14 days.

At a press conference held by Armnews, Romella Abovyan, head of the Infectious and Non-Infectious Disease Epidemiology Department at the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, stated that this regulation has been developed and approved based on international experience. “Studies show that restrictions have their effectiveness. We hope that as a result of these restrictions, we will be able to manage the situation,” said Romella Abovyan.

When asked if the requirement for a negative testing document every 14 days could change to every 10 or 7 days, Romella Abovyan mentioned that there are currently no discussions about such changes, but it is not excluded that both this and other restrictions could be reviewed.

Responding to a journalist's question about whether new restrictions might affect visits to entertainment venues or public catering outlets, the expert noted that there is a working document that is still under discussion, taking into account international experience.

Speaking about tightening the requirements, Ruben Sargsyan, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, and Tigran Dadunts, Director of the Legal Development and Research Center at the Ministry of Justice, presented projects for amendments to the Labor Code and modifications to the Law on Public Service. According to the proposed changes, employers will be able to dismiss employees who do not have a Covid vaccination certificate or testing document. “If an employee does not present a vaccination certificate or testing document, the employer is entitled not to allow the employee to work. The employer has the right not to pay for that time missed. In the case of 30 days of absence from work, the employer has the right to terminate the contract. I should mention that this missed time will not accumulate as annual leave and will not be counted as working experience,” said Ruben Sargsyan.

The same regulations will also apply to public servants. According to Tigran Dadunts, the Law on Public Service includes specific grounds for terminating the powers of public service employees and holders of public office. “We have taken such a step considering international experience. For instance, recently restrictions were imposed on public servants in the USA, which we are now attempting to implement here,” said Tigran Dadunts.