Log in or become a subscriber

Australia needs to develop a clear definition of 'essential workers', to provide clarity for employers in the event of another crisis such as the COVID pandemic, an inquiry recommends.

Inconsistent and changing definitions of essential workers across governments created widespread confusion, according to the independent inquiry into Australia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, conducted by Robyn Kruk AO, Professor Catherine Bennett, and Dr Angela Jackson.

"While the terms 'essential', 'frontline' and 'key' worker became part of the everyday lexicon, these terms are not defined in Australian Government legislation or consistently defined or coordinated across jurisdictions. Some states did have legal definitions, but these were not designed for a pandemic," the panel says in its 877-page report, released today...