On 6 April 2021, the Uruguayan Parliament (both the House of Representatives and the Senate) adopted by unanimity/at a high majority (to check) a law allowing public and private sector employees to take justified leave from work for 4 hours in order to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

Article 1 says: “Every worker from the public or private sector of activity who is scheduled to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) within their working hours, in accordance with the vaccination plan provided by the Ministry of Public Health, will have the right to leave from their work on the day of vaccination, during the maximum period of four hours, which will be paid as worked and considered for all purposes as such.

In case the vaccination requires the supply of two doses, the right will be extended to the two days, applying the maximum limit of four hours to each of them”.

Employees must inform in advance their employers and justify their absence from work in a maximum of three days after the last dose.

The right to four hours’ leave stated in this law is retroactive since it allows employees who have already been vaccinated to present the Covid-19 vaccination certificate to their employers.

The law was adopted with the aim of encouraging employees to get vaccinated in Uruguay and ultimately speed up the economic recovery.