Canada’s Vaccine Mandate May Be Expanded & Even More People Will Have To Get Fully Vaxxed
The feds have proposed regulations to extend mandatory vaccinations to more workers.👇
The federal government has announced that it intends to expand Canada’s vaccine mandate further so that it applies to more employees across different sectors and industries.
In a notice shared on December 7, Employment and Social Development Canada confirmed the Labour Minister’s plans to propose regulations to the Canada Labour Code, “to make vaccination mandatory in federally regulated workplaces.”
Previously, the mandatory vaccination rule only applied to federal workers in the public sector and those in the federally-regulated air, rail and marine transportation sectors.
However, the feds say the new regulations would expand this list to “employees in all other federally regulated industries,” including road transportation, banking, postal and courier services and telecommunications, among others.
There are around 18,500 employers in Canada's federally regulated industries, including federal Crown corporations. They employ as many as 955,000 people, which works out to be about 6% of all employees in Canada.
Government of Canada will require employees in all federally regulated workplaces to be vaccinated against COVID-19\nhttps://ow.ly/kOVp103cIhI— GC Newsroom (@GC Newsroom) 1638888306
This doesn’t include the federal public service either, in which there are an additional 1.3 million employees, which works out to be approximately 8.5% of all employees in the country.
Officials say the change would help limit the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces and communities across Canada, “particularly as we continue to face new variants.”
To finalize the new rules — which would come into effect in early 2022 — the government says it will “consult with key stakeholders, including representatives of small and medium-sized employers.”
The updated regulations would work alongside existing public health measures, including face coverings, regular hand washing and physical distancing.
To help workplaces implement the changes, the feds say they will “develop resources” that will make monitoring vaccination status possible.
The notice warns that employers who do not comply may be subject to “compliance and enforcement measures,” which could include administrative or financial penalties.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
Health Canada has a robust website with all the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and can answer any questions you may have.