Philipp Schulte

A general obligation to vaccinate against COVID-19 is being debated all over Germany, but it has already been set up in parts of the working world. As early as December 10, 2021, the legislature introduced the so-called facility-based vaccination obligation for employees in health and care professions through Section 20a of the Infection Protection Act (IfSG).

"SME association calls for 2G in the workplace." ticked it recently over the relevant news portals and also from the Ministries of Justice of the Federal States one hears visibly the demand to at least consider “2G” regulations in German enterprises, thus only allowing vaccinated (“Geimpft”) or recovered (Genesen”) employees to come to work. The association of small and medium-sized enterprises in particular justifies its approach primarily with the high administrative and financial hurdles that the current 3G regulations entail in companies as they have to constantly check on test certificates to monitor whether employees tested negative for Sars-CoV2 (“Getestet”). And the legislator is also already reacting: at least for employees in healthcare professions and professions that care for people in need of care and people with disabilities, a general vaccination obligation will apply from March 15, 2022.