The City of Toronto has released its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for the 37,660 members of the Toronto Public Service.
Last week, Mayor John Tory announced a mandatory vaccination policy for all City of Toronto employees, to help protect the health and safety of City employees, residents and the community. The policy is now available online on the City’s website.
Under the policy, all members of the Toronto Public Service are required to disclose vaccination status and provide proof of vaccination by September 13. Staff who have not been vaccinated or who do not disclose their vaccination status will be required to attend mandatory education sessions.
By September 30, unvaccinated staff will be required to have received and reported their first vaccine dose for a two-dose vaccine or have received a single-dose vaccine. By October 30, all City staff will be required to have received their first and second doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. The City will comply with its human rights obligations, and employees 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.
All new City of Toronto employees will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of being hired by the City.
Since COVID-19 vaccines became available in Toronto, City staff have been encouraged to get vaccinated as soon they were eligible, and the City allows employees to attend vaccination appointments during work hours, where operationally feasible.
The City will continue to closely monitor evolving public health information and the COVID-19 situation to protect the health and safety of employees. As an employer, the City 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. As the largest employer in Toronto, the City is taking a leadership role in making COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for its workforce.
The City of Toronto vaccination policy can be found on the COVID-19: Mandatory Vaccination Policy webpage.
Quotes:
“We know that vaccines work. We know they prevent severe cases of COVID-19, and the instances of unvaccinated people ending up in our hospitals and ICUs is significantly higher. We have an obligation to protect the health and safety of our employees, their loved ones, and the residents and visitors we serve. This is the right thing to do and it will ensure we continue to do everything we can as a City government to combat COVID-19 and bring this pandemic to an end.”
– Mayor John Tory
“I take the responsibility of protecting our workforce seriously. My number one priority is to provide a safe working environment for the City’s employees and the public we serve. I have received a lot of feedback from staff on this policy, expressing relief for a safer workplace in the midst of a fourth wave of COVID-19. We will continue to protect our staff and ensure high rates of vaccination remains one of the most important ways we protect each other and 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.