COVID-19 POLICIES

Depending on the Industry in which your business operates and sector specific laws and directives, a Mandatory Vaccination Policy, among other policies and procedure in relation to Covid-19, may be necessary and appropriate. Consult an employment and labour lawyer to determine your obligations and the find out about the various strategies to reduce your liability exposure should an employee, contractor or client become ill.

On August 17, 2021 for example the following was released by the Ontario Government to protect vulnerable patients and staff in settings where the risk of contracting and transmitting COVID-19 and the Delta variant is higher, the Chief Medical Officer of Health has issued a directive mandating hospitals and home and community care service providers to have a COVID-19 vaccination policy for employees, staff, contractors, students and volunteers, and for ambulance services to have a COVID-19 vaccination policy for paramedics. The vaccination policy must be effective no later than September 7, 2021, and at a minimum will require these individuals to provide proof of one of three things:

Full vaccination against COVID-19;
A medical reason for not being vaccinated against COVID-19; or
Completion of a COVID-19 vaccination educational session.

Individuals who do not provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 will be required to undertake regular antigen testing. These settings will be required to track and report on the implementation of their policies to the provincial government. This is similar to the vaccination policy requirements currently in place for long-term care homes.

Contact an employment and labour lawyer at Stitz Litigation to best determine Covid-19 specific workplace policies.

Employers have a legal obligation to ensure the safety of their employees and the broader public in many circumstances. Businesses can be liable for injuries to their clients/customers and employees, among others during Covid-19. Protect yourself from a negligence claim and ensure the safety of your workplace and the public.