STA, 25 August 2021 - Schools and kindergartens have received instructions on how to act if staff does not adhere to the recovered-vaccinated-tested rule. The Education Ministry document obtained by the STA shows that a refusal to get tested for coronavirus will be sufficient ground for a lay-off.
Employees in kindergartens and education institutions must be either vaccinated, have proof of recovery, or tested once a week, a rule known in Slovenia as PCT.
This means that those who are not vaccinated or reconvalescent and refuse to get tested weekly do not meet the obligations from their employment contract, reads the document.
Employers are not obligated to give those who refuse to get tested the possibility of working from home or going on a furlough.
In case an employee refuses testing, a disciplinary procedure can be launch against them and the lay-off procedure started, which means that ultimately the employee can be fired.
A refusal to wear a face mask is also treated as a violation of the employment contract.
Students and pupils who will not wear masks must, however, not be banned from attending classes. But parents will be notified of the requirement and the school will report such cases to the school inspection.
Education institutions received the instructions on Tuesday afternoon after head teachers warned on several occasions they have no legal ground or instruction on how to act if employees refuse to adhere to the PCT rule.
