vaccine hesitancy – Benefits Canada.com

2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit: How plan sponsors can boost vaccine uptake among employees

bwolfe — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 11:56:43 +0000

Employers can play a meaningful role in improving vaccine uptake, said Ajit Johal, a community pharmacist, clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia and founder of vaccine education non-profit organization immunize.io, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit in May. A recent partnership between the Richmond School District in British […]

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Feds consider definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ in review of federal worker mandate

Jennifer Paterson — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 19:00:43 +0000

The federal government will consider whether to include booster shots in the next version of the coronavirus vaccine mandate for its workers, said the Treasury Board as it reviews the rules. The government must review the need for the policy, which currently requires federal public servants to get two doses of the vaccine or face […]

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Unvaccinated workers in Canada, U.S. and Zimbabwe facing unpaid leaves, terminations

bwolfe — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 20:00:05 +0000

While coronavirus vaccine mandates for employees have become a flashpoint in Canada recently, these types of mandates continue to be upheld in several jurisdictions around the world as the pandemic rages on. Here in Canada, a New Brunswick judge has rejected a bid by four public servants to overturn the province’s decision to place them on unpaid […]

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Sounding Board: Legal issues for employers dealing with coronavirus vaccine exemption requests

mdunne — Thu, 30 Dec 2021 14:00:28 +0000

Employers have had to navigate many unique legal issues this year, including how to deal with the issue of coronavirus vaccines and employees. One question that will continue to pop up in 2022 — what are the legal considerations for employers when a worker asks for a vaccine exemption? In the last few months, both […]

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U.S. grocery chain ending some coronavirus benefits for unvaccinated staff

mdunne — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 14:00:23 +0000

Kroger, the biggest traditional grocery chain in the U.S., is ending some benefits for unvaccinated workers as large employers attempt to compel more of their workforce to become vaccinated with cases of the coronavirus rising once again. Workers who haven’t received coronavirus vaccines will no longer be eligible to receive up to two weeks paid […]

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Road to returning to office filled with legal potholes for employers

mdunne — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 13:55:24 +0000

Angry mobs of anti-vaccination protestors holding up handmade signs with messages like “freedom not fear” have been popping up across the country and around the globe for months. Emotions continue to run high both on the streets and within organizations grappling with how to move forward amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. But employers looking to […]

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Unvaccinated Nevada state workers to pay employee health insurance surcharge

mdunne — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 14:00:01 +0000

Nevada will be the first state in the U.S. to charge state workers enrolled in public employee health insurance plans a surcharge if they aren’t vaccinated against the coronavirus. Earlier this month, the state Public Employees’ Benefit Program Board voted to charge unvaccinated workers up to US$55 per month to offset the costs of testing that those who […]

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Employers enforcing rules for unvaccinated employees

mdunne — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 14:15:24 +0000

Employers are beginning to enforce rules for employees who aren’t vaccinated against the coronavirus. To go to work today, Ontario long-term care staff must have received their first coronavirus vaccine dose. Staff who don’t present proof of a first dose must instead show a medical exemption to be able to enter a long-term care home […]

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Employers grappling with worker shortages amid vaccine deadlines

mdunne — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 19:00:08 +0000

A range of employers across Canada are starting to deal with some worker shortages as a result of a small percentage of employees not meeting deadlines for getting vaccinated against the coronavirus. Air Canada suspended more than 800 employees for not being fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, in line with federal rules. The vast majority of the airline’s […]

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Public service union ‘concerned’ managers may decide validity of employee vaccine views

mdunne — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 13:00:14 +0000

The deadline for employees in the core federal public service to declare their coronavirus vaccination status was Oct. 29, but unions say there are still many questions about how requests for accommodations will be handled. The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat said late last week that 240,000 employees have filed their attestations of their vaccine status to the government, out […]

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