Canada Post’s new mandatory vaccination practice

2021/10/28

Canada Post has formalized a vaccination practice in line with the federal government’s approach, after consultations with all bargaining agents. Our practice requires all employees to be fully vaccinated.

Canada Post is committed to a healthy and safe environment for all employees. Vaccination has been shown to be effective in reducing the transmission of COVID-19 and protecting individuals from severe consequences of this virus. We encourage any employee who is not fully vaccinated to book an appointment to begin or complete the vaccination process.

The practice comes into effect on October 29, 2021 with full compliance required after November 26, 2021.

ALL EMPLOYEES – MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

Note: all bolded words below are defined in the practice.

By November 12, 2021, all employees Actively at Work (those working in a Canada Post facility and those working from another location, including remotely) must attest to their current vaccination status:

1. 1. Fully vaccinated
2. 2. Partially vaccinated and intends to be fully vaccinated
3. 3. Unable to be fully vaccinated (due to a medical, religious or other prohibited ground of discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act). Accommodations will only be granted where sufficient evidence is provided based on one of the prohibited grounds of discrimination.

   Employees who request accommodation based on medical grounds will have to provide a form completed by a medical professional.

   Employees who request accommodation based on religious grounds will have to:

   • Show that they hold a sincere religious belief that prevents them from being fully vaccinated;
   • Complete the Religious Accommodation Questionnaire and Attestation; and
   • Demonstrate the belief is religious in nature (and not a personal, moral, ethical, secular or political view).

   Requests for human rights accommodations will be denied if:

   • the request is based on personal preference and not a prohibited ground under the Canadian Human Rights Act;
   • the request merely alleges a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (because this is outside of the scope of the Canadian Human Rights Act); and/or
   • the information provided is untrue.
4. 4. Unwilling to be fully vaccinated (meaning an individual who refuses to disclose their vaccination status [whether they are vaccinated or not]; for whom accommodation for a prohibited ground of discrimination is not granted and where the individual is still unwilling to be vaccinated; who is partially vaccinated but is not willing to become fully vaccinated within the 10 weeks allowed for; and who has attested that they are not vaccinated).

For a summary of how your attestation will affect you, please refer to the enclosed overview of the practice. Employees who do not attest to their vaccination status will be considered unwilling to be fully vaccinated and placed on leave without pay after November 26, 2021. Employees who are not Actively at Work will be required to attest before returning to work.

How to attest to your vaccination status:

1. 1. Call 1-833-433-1442 before November 12, 2021.
2. 2. You will be asked a series of questions, which you will answer by pressing numbers.
3. 3. You will need to provide your employee ID and your year of birth.
4. 4. You will be asked to attest to your current vaccination status.
5. 5. This is an automated system. You will not speak to an operator and your privacy will be protected. You need to remain on the line until the conclusion of the call for your attestation to be recorded.

Note: If you receive a rapid busy signal when you call, we are experiencing a high volume of calls. Please call back later.

If you do not call to attest to your vaccination status by November 12, you will begin to receive reminders via automated call. If you have any questions after you have reviewed this material, please email to vaccine@canadapost.ca.

All information shared by employees on their vaccination status will respect the Privacy Act, and the practice will respect the Canadian Human Rights Act. Employees may be required to produce proof of vaccination, such as a government-issued digital or printed record, or proof of a negative test result. Submitting a false or misleading attestation about vaccination status, or any other breach of this practice is considered major misconduct and will result in discipline up to and including termination.

For more information:

This overview summarizes how to attest and how your attestation will affect you. The full vaccination practice is on Intrapost. There is also more information in these FAQs prepared for employees.

Please also watch for a letter about the practice from Susan Margles, Chief People and Safety Officer, in your mail at home, together with the overview and a copy of the full practice.

With the vaccination practice, everyone must continue to follow all COVID-19 safety protocols. We are also asking contractors to support our efforts by developing their own vaccination practice and clearly communicating their expectations to their employees.

We all have a role to play in maintaining a respectful and safe work environment. We recognize that the ongoing pandemic can make life harder for employees or their family members; help is available 24/7 at 1-866-565-4903, at no cost, through our Employee and Family Assistance Program.