On August 13, 2021, the Federal Government announced its intent to require all federal public servants be vaccinated as early as the end of September.
Also, by no later than the end of the October, the Federal Government will require employees in the federally regulated air, rail, and marine transportation sectors to be vaccinated. The vaccination requirement will also extend to certain travellers, including all commercial air travellers, passengers on interprovincial trains, and passengers on large marine vessels with overnight accommodations (e.g. cruise ships).
As stated in its announcement, the Federal Government expects all Federal Crown Corporations and employers in federally regulated sectors (e.g. banking, broadcasting and telecommunication) to require their employees to be vaccinated. The Government of Canada stated that they will work with employers to ensure this result.
In an interview, the Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said that all public servants and some employees in federally regulated sectors must comply with the vaccine mandate or they risk losing their jobs.
Given that these are only announcements by the Government of Canada, as soon as legislation or regulations are released, Mathews Dinsdale will provide updates on the details pertaining to these vaccination requirements.
This is a significant step forward by the Federal Government and would provide some certainty for some employers struggling to provide a safe workplace. Hopefully Provincial governments will announce similar measures in order to provide guidance for Provincially regulated employers. For instance, on August 12, 2021, the Government of British Columbia announced a similar requirement for long-term care employees to be vaccinated.
We will continue to update our clients with information as it becomes available. If you have any questions about this topic, other COVID-19 related questions, please do not hesitate to contact a Mathews Dinsdale lawyer, or refer to the Firm’s other COVID-19 website resources.
