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An employer did "everything humanly possible" to obtain an employee's vaccination status and was entitled to dismiss her after she repeatedly rebuffed its requests, the Fair Work Commission has found.

The Northern Territory Department of Education teacher was on unpaid leave when the CEO informed staff of a November 2021 deadline for providing proof of their COVID-19 vaccinations, or a medical exemption, in line with Government directions.

Three days before the deadline, the employee was reminded that unless she complied, she'd be unable to return to work; she then fell ill and was declared unfit for work.

She provided her employer with medical certificates, and when the CEO sought a response regarding her inability to perform her duties unless it had proof of vaccination, she promised to give a "fuller response" when she was no longer sick...