News Release
November 19, 2021

The City of Toronto is continuing to implement its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for all employees.

Overall, 97 per cent of City employees are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and two per cent have at least one dose, Since the last update on November 10, almost 500 employees have disclosed they have received both doses of vaccine and 99.5 per cent of the active workforce has declared their status.

As of end of day Thursday, November 18, the vaccination declaration information for active City staff is:

  • City staff who have submitted their vaccination status: 32,052 (99.5 per cent of the active workforce) — an increase of 31 compared to November 10
  • Staff who have received a complete COVID-19 vaccine course: 31,074 (97 per cent of the active workforce) — an increase of 491 compared to November 10
  • Staff who report being partially vaccinated: 587 (two per cent of the active workforce) — a decrease of 234 compared to November 10
  • Staff who report not having received any vaccine doses: 234 (one per cent of the active workforce) — an increase of nine compared to November 10
  • Staff who completed the Staff Vaccination Disclosure Form, but chose not to disclose their vaccination status: 134 (less than one per cent of the active workforce) — a decrease of 76 compared to November 10
  • Staff who did not complete the Staff Vaccination Disclosure Form: 164 (less than one per cent of the active workforce) — a decrease of 69 compared to November 10

Since November 1, City managers and supervisors have been holding meetings with staff who have not received any doses of a COVID-19 vaccine or have not disclosed their vaccination status. Meetings for those who disclosed they received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by October 31 will start the week of November 28, to allow all staff four weeks from the time of their first dose to receive their second dose. Following the meeting with the manager or supervisor, staff determined not compliant with the policy have been placed on suspension for a maximum of six weeks. After the period of unpaid suspension, starting on Monday, December 13, staff members who do not provide proof of receiving both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, will have their employment terminated for cause, as they will have chosen not to comply with the vaccination policy.

As of November 18, 515 staff (an increase of 136 compared to November 10) have been placed on unpaid suspension for non-compliance with the policy, and 85 staff (a decrease of 16 compared to November 10) have been placed on leave of absence pending review of an accommodation request.

Last week, the City announced it is pausing a limited number of recreation classes due to staffing impacts resulting from implementation of the City’s COVID-19 vaccination policy. There are 6,400 programs currently running, serving 44,000 people. Beginning today, November 19, 101 programs will be cancelled for the last four weeks of the fall session, affecting 685 participants. Mitigation efforts have been successful for many instructional programs and no Learn to Skate or Learn to Swim programs will be cancelled. After-school Recreation Care programs are also not impacted. The City will be directly contacting anyone affected by a program cancellation and registrants will receive pro-rated refunds for the remaining classes in the session.

As the City continues the implementation of its vaccination policy, it does not anticipate impacts to critical and priority services. Emergency response by Toronto Police, Toronto Fire Services or Toronto Paramedic Services will not be impacted as a result of the COVID-19 vaccination policy.

As the largest employer in Toronto, the City has taken a leadership role in making COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for its workforce and is meeting its obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to take every precaution reasonable to protect employees from workplace hazards, including COVID-19.

 

The City will continue to comply with its human rights obligations. Staff who are not able to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine under a protected ground set out in the Ontario Human Rights Code, will be entitled to accommodation.

The City’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy is available at: https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/accountability-operations-customer-service/city-administration/corporate-policies/people-equity-policies/covid-19-mandatory-vaccination-policy/

Quote:

“It is encouraging to see this week that approximately 500 more of our employees are reporting they have received a full course of the COVID-19 vaccine. This is an important step in providing a safe workplace for our employees, and helping to protect our community.”

– Chris Murray, City Manager

Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Media Relations