Guide covers key components of vax policy for employers
Ottawa Public Health has released a guide for employers on how to develop and implement workplace vaccination policies as part of their COVID-19 safety planning.
“Employers have a responsibility to maintain a safe work environment for their employees. To help reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, a vaccine policy is an important measure employers should implement,” says the authority.
Recently, Canadian HR Reporter spoke with Paul Boshyk, partner for employment labour relations at McMillan in Toronto, about some of the legal landmines employers will have to be aware of when implementing a COVID vaccination policy.
The Ottawa guide goes over the key components of such a policy, including:
- determining the scope and purpose
- listing actions workers must take
- setting deadlines for when actions must be taken
- listing available supports for vaccination
- issues of non-compliance
- provisions for unvaccinated workers
- privacy considerations
Previously, Ottawa announced it will be requiring many public service workers to get their jabs by the end of September.
Many other employers, including KPMG, Maple Leaf Foods, the City of Toronto and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), have also announced mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies of their own.
