KPMG in Canada is among the latest companies requiring coronavirus vaccinations all employees.
As of Oct. 1, the company is mandating vaccinations for all partners, employees, contractors and guests requiring access to an office, as well as for partners and team members going to a client site or an offsite location on KPMG business. Accommodations will be made for anyone unable to be vaccinated for reasons related to protected grounds under human rights legislation, according to a press release.
The release noted KPMG’s vaccine mandate was partly based on a recent internal survey of about 8,000 employees. It found while 92 per cent of respondents are vaccinated, 77 per cent said they’d be more comfortable if a vaccine policy was in place.
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“We continue to see increasing COVID-19 cases across Canada and, with the landscape rapidly evolving, our top priority continues to be the safety and well-being of our people, our clients and our communities,” said Elio Luongo, chief executive officer of KPMG in Canada, in the release.
In addition, Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. is requiring its office-based workers to either get vaccinated or test negative within the past 72 hours. Those attending meetings must be vaccinated.
The Quebec-based convenience store chain has also pushed education about vaccines that’s resulted in overall vaccination rates for its employees that are above the general population in most of its markets. And while the company has stopped short of requiring in-store employees to be vaccinated, it hasn’t ruled out doing so in the future.
“The situation is changing so quickly, I can’t say we never will,” said Brian Hannasch, chief executive officer of Couche-Tard, in an interview after the company’s annual meeting.
Read: How to encourage vaccine hesitant employees to get the shot