Giving yourself an edge in the employment market may be one more incentive of getting your Covid jab, say recruiters.

Melanie Burgess Careers deputy editor, 14 Sep 2021

Vaccinated jobseekers can give themselves an edge by adding their Covid-19 jab status to their resume.

While legal experts warn most employers cannot ask for medical records, recruiters say there is nothing stopping jobseekers volunteering the information for a potential advantage.

“If you are a jobseeker out there and if you are comfortable with it, then why not?” people2people group managing director Mark  Smith said.

people2people’s Mark Smith says it can only work in an applicant’s favour. Picture: Supplied

“There is no down side at all – it can only have an up side.

“Remember employers are still people so if people are concerned about their health, they are going to feel the same way when they are hiring.

“It is most important for aged care and frontline workers, and people in retail or with some engagement with the public, but even if you are in the back office, I am sure there will be an underlying bias towards those who are vaccinated.”

It comes as a poll of 715 Australian workers by people2people revealed 56 per cent believe including vaccination details on a CV is a good idea.

Hender Careers’ Paul Bell expects this trend could creep in. Picture: Supplied

Hender Careers principal consultant Paul Bell said he had not seen this trend yet but “it could easily be something that creeps in”.

“This will especially be the case for aged care and health roles, but also possibly for hospitality, tourism and retail-related job applications,” he said.

“Anything that can potentially give you an edge over others is worth adding to a resume.

“Many foreign workers advertise the fact that they have a valid work visa on the front page of their resumes and so Covid vaccination status could also be displayed in a similar manner.”

Robert Half’s Nicole Gorton says vaccination status should not be a consideration for employers outside of mandated industries. Picture: Supplied

Recruitment agency Robert Half director Nicole Gorton agreed that sharing vaccination information could work in an applicant’s favour in some scenarios, but stopped short of suggesting the move for all jobseekers.

“(It could be beneficial) if the employer has an established vaccine mandate or if the applicant knows the company encourages its staff to be vaccinated,” she said.

Ultimately, Ms Gorton said vaccination status should not be a factor in the selection process if a vaccine is not mandatory for the role.

ASPL Group chief executive Kris Grant said the same.

ASPL Group’s Kris Grant says most jobseekers should not be asked about their vaccination status. Picture: Supplied

She urged anyone asked about vaccination when applying for a job in a “non-essential environment” to challenge the legality of the question.

“I would be saying ‘Are you allowed to ask that question?’ or ‘Why is this relevant to the role?’,” she said.

I think that is well within your rights.

“How much sharing do you want to do with your own medical information?