Employment lawyer on returning to the office safely amidst rise in COVID-19 cases

As provinces across the country face another wave of COVID-19 amidst a rise of cases and a new variant, the holidays and a possible return to the workplace are around the corner. What will this mean for employers and employees considering an end to remote work?

Chantel Goldsmith, a Toronto employment lawyer and Partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP spoke with Benefits Canada magazine to discuss a return to the office and safety concerns.

Goldsmith tells Benefits Canada that it is important for employers to have a clear and concise policy. “A lot of employers are implementing vaccine policies, but the problem is for those that aren’t mandated [by the government] to become vaccinated,” Goldsmith states. “If they are just forcing their employees or requiring their employees, to become vaccinated and the employee chooses not to do so, then they would have to terminate that employee and provide that employee with a termination package.”

Employees who are hoping for a possible exemption to vaccination might face an uphill battle. “While there are very few cases of people who actually can’t get the vaccine due to health reasons, unvaccinated employees claiming a health exemption will need to get a medical doctor to verify that’s the case,” says Goldsmith.