Close X
Sunday, November 24, 2024
ADVT 
National

Unvaccinated federal workers on unpaid leave

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 15 Nov, 2021 11:05 AM
  • Unvaccinated federal workers on unpaid leave

OTTAWA - Employees in the core federal public sector who have not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be put on unpaid leave today, unless they were already granted an accommodation.

The policy could potentially leave more than 1,000 workers without pay and unable to access employment insurance benefits.

As of Nov. 3, the vast majority — about 95 per cent — of federal public servants were reported to be fully vaccinated.

Of the 267,222employees who declared their status, a little over 3,150 have requested some kind of accommodation so they can work without a full slate of vaccines.

The government said 1,255 workers reported that they are completely unvaccinated, which represents about 0.5 per cent of employees who've declared their vaccine status.

There are 7,284 workers with only one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. They have been given 10 weeks after their first dose to receive their second shot before they are also put on unpaid leave.

The government said it would accommodate employees who cannot be vaccinated for health, religious, or other reasons protected under the Human Rights Act, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned at the outset of the policy that exemptions and accommodations would be difficult to obtain.

The Treasury Board Secretariat has not yet released how many unvaccinated or partially vaccinated employees have received some kind of accommodation, such as the opportunity to work from home.

Several federal public sector unions have said they plan to file grievances if they feel an employee's human rights were not respected.

The largest federal union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, has encouraged members to be vaccinated if possible.

"If you choose not to get vaccinated for personal reasons, PSAC will look at your case and — if your human rights or workplace rights are being violated — PSAC will support you," the union's website reads.

The union believes there is a "strong possibility" that the government policy will withstand any legal challenges put forward.

The policy will be reviewed every six months, and is expected to remain in effect for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

O'Toole faces first caucus meeting post-election

O'Toole faces first caucus meeting post-election
Under legislation passed in 2015, each party's caucus is required to decide after an election whether it wants to empower its members to trigger a leadership review, which requires a written notice backed by at least 20 per cent of the caucus.

O'Toole faces first caucus meeting post-election

Helicopter crash in Killam Bay north of Vancouver

Helicopter crash in Killam Bay north of Vancouver
The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre confirmed Monday that the helicopter crashed at around 2 p.m. in the area near Killam Bay, at the entrance to Jervis Inlet, northeast of Sechelt.

Helicopter crash in Killam Bay north of Vancouver

1,986 COVID19 cases over 3 days

1,986 COVID19 cases over 3 days
There are 5,986 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 181,304 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 326 individuals are in hospital and 142 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

1,986 COVID19 cases over 3 days

Home demand still outstrips supply in Vancouver

Home demand still outstrips supply in Vancouver
Just over 9,000 condos, townhomes and single-detached homes were listed for sale in September and statistics from the board show 34 per cent of those changed hands.

Home demand still outstrips supply in Vancouver

VPD arrests suspect in Gastown crime spree

VPD arrests suspect in Gastown crime spree
Kevin Willard, 37, is now charged with one count of break and enter in relation to Sunday’s incident, while VPD investigates potential links with the other two break and enters.

VPD arrests suspect in Gastown crime spree

Canada shares mixed-dose data with other countries

Canada shares mixed-dose data with other countries
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, says PHAC has presented data on the effectiveness of mixed doses to the U.S. and other top-priority destinations.

Canada shares mixed-dose data with other countries