Employees must carry worker permits in Melbourne under stage four regulations

Essential workers who need to leave their homes to go to work in Melbourne must carry a permit from 11.59pm today or risk hefty fines under strict stage four regulations.

The Department of Justice website crashed this morning after an onslaught of workers rushed to download the permit form ahead of the deadline.

From tomorrow, all workplaces must be closed in Melbourne unless they are part of a permitted industry or sector.

Here is everything you need to know about the worker permit scheme:

How does the worker permit scheme work?

All employers that require their staff to attend a workplace must issue them with a worker permit from 11.59pm on Wednesday, August 5.

It is the employer's responsibility to ensure all essential employees have been issued a permit.

Employees must carry the permit with them when travelling to and from work, including photo identification.

READ MORE: Businesses that will stay open or close in Victoria's Stage 4 restrictions

Who qualifies for the worker permit?

Essential workers whose workplace is a permitted activity allowed to open or operate under stage four regulations, part of an approved category for on-site work and who cannot work remotely from home.

READ MORE: Your most pressing stage four questions answered  

What happens if a worker or business does not comply with the scheme?

Fines of up to $19,826 for individuals and $99,132 for businesses will apply to employers who issue worker permits to employees who do not meet the requirements of the scheme or breach its requirements.

Workers who breach the scheme requirements or do not carry their worker permit when travelling to and from work could also face on-the-spot fines of up to $1652 and up to $9913 for businesses.

READ MORE: What does Victoria's State of Disaster mean for you? 

How do employers issue the permit?

Employers must download the template from the Department of Justice or Victorian government website and fill it out. Both the employer and employee must then sign the permit.

Why do essential workers need permits?

The worker permit scheme is a new regulation under the stage four restrictions currently in place in metropolitan Melbourne.

Essential workers must carry the permit in case they are stopped by police on roads or public transport, including between the curfew hours of 8pm and 5am.