Lior Samfiru with CityNews on COVID-19 vaccine exemptions in the workplace

Interview Summary

As more businesses implement mandatory vaccine policies across the province, employees have raised concerns regarding their rights in the workplace. What options do unvaccinated employees have? Can employers terminate employees who refuse to be vaccinated?

Lior Samfiru, a Toronto employment lawyer and co-founding Partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP joins CityNews with Shauna Hunt to discuss vaccine exemptions and employee rights.

Interview Notes

Which employees will be exempted from mandatory vaccinations?

Employees who do not wish to be vaccinated should speak to their doctor in order to determine whether this is possible. Only a treating doctor will be able to exempt an employee from vaccination if they work in a sector in which it is mandatory. A doctor’s note exempting an employee from vaccination does not have to specify the medical condition of the employee.

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What legal recourse will employees who refuse to be vaccinated have?

Employees who refuse to be vaccinated and do not have a legitimate reason, such as a medical exemption, to do so could lose their job and their rights to severance entitlements. Employees could face an uphill battle in terms of pursuing their rights and might not be eligible for government benefits.