3-G obligation at the workplace comes into effect on November 1

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Anyone who has contact with other people at work must provide proof of 3-G. Those who refuse to do so may also be terminated.

Anyone who goes to work from November 1 will have to provide proof of 3G. And this will apply if physical contact with other people cannot be ruled out at the place of work. The regulation therefore applies to all those who come into contact with other people in their day-to-day work – e.g. in the office or in the canteen – but not to truck drivers, for example.

A transitional period applies up to and including November 14: Anyone who does not have 3G proof in the workplace during this time must wear an FFP2 mask at all times.

Termination as “last consequence”
Employers will then have to carry out random checks to ensure compliance with the 3-G proof. Health authorities will also conduct random checks.

In the event of violations, administrative fines of up to 3,600 euros for employers and 500 euros for employees are envisaged. The form in which they carry out the checks is up to the companies. According to the plan, the health authorities are to check whether the companies are carrying out checks, for example via employee surveys.

What happens if the employee refuses to provide proof? One possibility: he works in a home office. “If none of this is of any use, it may lead to a loss of continued payment of wages, and in the worst case, of course, it can also lead to termination. That is the last consequence in labor law,” says Labor Minister Martin Kocher in the Ö1-Mittagsjournal.

Also new rules for health sector
The regulations for employees in the health and care sector have also been adapted: these workplaces, too, can only be entered if a corresponding 3G certificate is available. Both sides – employer and employee – are responsible for compliance with the measure.

Health Minister Mückstein spoke of another “safety net against the Corona virus.” “It cannot be that one has to expose oneself to the risk of a Corona infection at the place of work under certain circumstances,” he said at the press foyer after the government meeting, which was jointly contested with Labor Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP). Kocher was pleased with a “practical notification” that ensures that “people are protected.”

Employees in supermarkets: Mask requirement falls
With regard to the general mask obligation that already existed, as of November 1, employees are exempt from the mask obligation by providing a 3-G certificate. This means, for example, that employees in supermarkets with a 3-G certificate will no longer have to wear a mask. For customers, the FFP2 mask requirement remains in place in places to meet necessary basic needs (e.g., supermarkets, pharmacies, public transportation). In other customer areas (e.g., non-essential retail, travel agencies, museums,) either 3-G proof must be provided or an FFP2 mask must be worn.

Furthermore, the FFP2 mask (in addition to the 3-G proof) is mandatory for employees in old people’s and nursing homes as well as in hospitals. The same applies to visitors to these facilities. There is still no obligation to wear masks in any of the “3-G settings” already known – for example in the catering trade, in accommodation establishments, theaters or at hairdressers and events.