Everything You Need to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines for Nannies

Mark Hudson • Oct 13, 2021

Covid-19 Vaccine and Nannies

The governments of both New Zealand and Australia believe safe and effective vaccines are vital to protect their populations. They are also calling on businesses to help chivvy the vaccine rollout along. If you employ a nanny, that includes you.

People may hold views that are polar opposites but the legal requirements around vaccines are clear. Read on to find out how they could affect you if you are hiring or already have a nanny.

Who Can Have a COVID-19 Vaccine?

Approved vaccines are free for everyone in both New Zealand and Australia, regardless of their visa status. The official policies in both countries are that they are voluntary.

Although the aims in each country are similar, the nuances of government tone and rhetoric are a little bit different.

Australia is arguably leaning more toward the potential for a new situation in the future. This might allow businesses to decide only to employ those who’ve had a vaccine.

Having said that, at the moment, there are only certain jobs for which having a COVD-19 jab is mandatory. These tend to involve workers at border control or those in close contact with travellers who are in quarantine, for example. In New Zealand, mandatory vaccinations were recently expanded to a number of other industries, including education.

Can I Force My Nanny to Have a Vaccine?

As much as you might like to, no you can’t. It doesn’t matter how you’re employing them eg: as a contractor, au pair or employee. Your nanny doesn’t currently have to disclose or prove their vaccination status to you.

The important thing is to keep the lines of communication open. You might be able to discover your nanny’s views and even their vaccination status without asking a direct question.

If you feel your nanny has made a decision not to have a vaccine due to misinformation then there are things you can and should do. These include:

Providing relevant, accurate information about the importance of vaccinations
Spending time explaining the downsides and risks of not having a vaccine
Spelling out their privilege compared to those in less fortunate countries
Assisting them with arranging and giving time off to have a vaccine

In very extreme cases, it might also be worth flagging up a statement from the New Zealand government. It says that sharing vaccine misinformation could amount to misconduct. This would depend on the circumstances and the workplace.

You should always tread carefully and never jump to conclusions. There are plenty of people who may have an underlying health issue that makes them afraid of having a COVID-19 vaccine.

They may have a genuine fear of a very rare but potentially dangerous side-effect. Sometimes a little reassurance can go a long way.

When Hiring a Nanny, Can I Ask Candidates if They’ve Had a Vaccine?

No, you cannot ask them this question directly. You also cannot add a clause in your nanny’s contract that stipulates that COVID-19 vaccines for nannies are a condition of their employment.

Safe Work Australia has some important advice. It says that most employers do not need to make vaccination mandatory to meet their workplace, health and safety obligations. This would include those who intend to employ a nanny.

Australia’s Fair Work Ombudsman also has something to say about the current situation. It states that most employers should assume that they can’t require employees to have or have had a COVID-19 vaccination.

There have been a few controversial cases in Australia in which the Fair Work Commission has stepped in. In these instances, this federal industrial tribunal has said it was reasonable for employers in the child-care and aged care sectors to demand vaccinations as a condition of employment.

The general advice for anyone employing a nanny would be to avoid going down the tribunal route. Most unions would agree that vaccine mandates should have the backing of public health orders.

As an employer, what you can and should do is start an open dialogue as early as possible with potential nannies.

You might be able to ask some leading questions from which you can draw your own conclusions. You could, for example, ask general questions around childcare and COVID-19 vaccines for nannies to tease out their views.

What Happens if My Nanny Gets Sick After a COVID-19 Vaccine?

COVID-19 vaccines may cause side effects in some people. There is nothing unusual about this. The vast majority of other types of vaccines all have the potential to cause different reactions in different people.

The bottom line is that the risks of not having a vaccine outweigh the risks of having one in most people.

The most common issues related to a COVID-19 vaccine are usually mild and do not last for long. They should not stop anyone from either having the second dose or from continuing with life as normal. Reported reactions include:

Anxiety and pain at the injection site
A headache
Feeling tired
Aching muscles
A general feeling of being unwell
A high temperature, chills, pain in the joints or feeling nauseous

All these symptoms prove that the vaccine is working. Most people find that they are more common after the second dose.

There could be circumstances when your nanny does have a reaction that means taking time off work. If so, they’ll be able to use any sick leave they’ve built up to cover this.

In New Zealand, if they have a reaction that means they can’t carry out their normal work duties for more than seven days, they might be eligible for ACC cover.

What About Home-Based Educators?

Earlier this week, the NZ government announced that it would be mandatory for education providers to be vaccinated. This also extended to people who work at aged residential care, home and community support services.

If your nanny is a home based educator, or you’re receiving a ministry of education subsidy (either directly from MOE or through an agency) it’s likely that your nanny would fall under the definition and would require a vaccination to continue employment. They would be required to have their first dose by 31 October and need to be fully vaccinated by 1 January.

Further guidance is still required around these changes but they don’t appear to cover nannies who aren’t deemed home-based educators. However, further clarification may be provided by the Government on this in the coming weeks.

In Australia, mandatory vaccinations in the education sector are still being considered in a number of state.

Keeping Everyone Safe

We all share a common responsibility to stay safe and a desire to move on from the COVID-19 crisis. For the governments of Australia and New Zealand, vaccinations are an essential tool to do both of these things.

As things stand at the moment, vaccinations for nannies are not mandatory. But, the authorities would encourage those who have nannies to help. One way is to provide accurate, up-to-date information about COVID-19 vaccines for nannies.

We know that the legalities around hiring a nanny in either New Zealand or Australia can be fraught with difficulties. That’s why we are here to help.

Get in touch with us now to find out how we can assist you with all the administrative tasks that come with employing a nanny. We’d love it if you’d give us a like on our Facebook page as well.

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