Mask Mandates in Alberta | The Facts

This article contains details on the current mask mandate for Alberta as the province continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

MASKS AT WORK

COVID RESTRICTIONS

Is there a mask mandate in Alberta?

There is no longer a mask mandate for businesses and public places in Alberta. The remaining mask requirements for transit and Alberta Health Services (AHS) ended on June 14, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. when the province entered Step 3 of its 3-step plan for removing COVID-19 public health measures. Most requirements, including workplaces, were lifted on March 1, 2022, when the province entered Step 2 of the plan.

Back To Top

Where are masks still required in Alberta?

You are no longer required by the Government of Alberta to wear a mask in workplaces or public places in Alberta, including transit, except where a location mandates it (such as Alberta Health Services).

Back To Top

Is there a mask mandate for workplaces in Alberta?

There is currently no mask mandate covering all workplaces in Alberta.

Back To Top

Can an employer in Alberta ask employees to wear a mask?

Yes. An employer can request that employees and staff wear masks while at work. Individuals with medical exemptions for approved health conditions who possess a medical exception letter may be exempt from wearing a mask and should be accommodated by their employer.

Back To Top

Can an employee refuse to wear a mask at work?

If a workplace in Alberta requires that individuals wear masks, an employee can be disciplined for refusing to wear a mask. Once all restrictions have lifted and the prevalence of COVID-19 has decreased, an employer would likely be able to fire an employee “without cause” (with severance pay) for refusing to wear a mask.

Back To Top

Can an employee quit their job if they don’t want to wear a mask?

When an employee in Alberta quits their job by choice, they are generally not entitled to severance. However, if your employer is imposing a mask requirement after the public health mask mandate has ended, you may be entitled to severance. This is because certain requests, such as masking after COVID-19 is no longer a public health threat, may be considered unreasonable, and the employee may be able to claim constructive dismissal and leave their job with severance pay.

Back To Top

Can an employee choose to still wear a mask at work?

Yes. Individuals in Alberta have the right to decide to continue masking for added protection against COVID-19, even if there is no mask mandate in place.

Currently, public health guidance advises individuals who are at high-risk for COVID-19 to continue to wear masks while in public settings with others who do not in their household. The end of the mask mandate does not mean that COVID-19 is gone.

Back To Top

Can an employer fire an employee for wearing a mask after the mandate ends?

An employer can decide to let a non-unionized employee in Alberta go for almost any reason, including for wearing a mask when there is no mandate company policy that requires one. This would be considered a termination without cause, and an employee would still be owed their full severance pay.

Severance pay is determined by a number of factors and can be as much as 24 months’ pay.

If an employee needs to wear a mask due to a disability or medical condition that puts them at high risk for COVID-19, the employer must accommodate the employee. Terminating an employee on those grounds is illegal and a violation of their human rights and such an individual may be entitled to compensation, including damages.

Back To Top

Have all COVID-19 restrictions ended in Alberta?

There are no longer any COVID restrictions in Alberta. They were lifted when the province moved to Step 3 of the reopening plan on June 14, 2022 at 11:59 p.m.