workplace safety measures, such as masking, sanitizing and physical distancing, are part of the equation, as is rapid testing. vaccination, however, along with proof of immunization, is “the highest order to protect our health.”
“the first thing (employers) talk about is how do i protect my employees?” said d’avignon, even before “how do i keep my business open?”
“we’re well past any notion of a nod to optics. people are getting sick, people have died from the virus,” he added.
in b.c., london drugs and telus introduced vaccine policies to employees this week in the days after canada’s major banks, three of four of the country’s major accounting firms and insurer sun life issued similar requirements, as reported in the globe and mail.
employers do have to maintain a careful balance between requiring employees to be vaccinated and respecting their privacy rights and the human rights of those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons or legitimately held religious beliefs, according to a briefing munroe helped prepare for the business council of b.c.
however, munroe said businesses are on solid ground requiring vaccination, because “there are very few people that would qualify for a medical exemption or have honestly held religious beliefs that would prevent it.”