The health and safety of City employees is a priority. The City of Toronto is committed to taking every reasonable precaution in the circumstances for the protection of the health and safety of workers from the hazard of COVID-19. Vaccination is a key element in the protection of City employees against the hazard of COVID-19.
This Policy is designed to maximize COVID-19 vaccination rates at City workplaces as one of the critical control measures for the hazard of COVID-19. To this end, City employees, students and volunteers are strongly encouraged to obtain all COVID-19 vaccinations and booster doses as recommended by Toronto Public Health.
Toronto Public Health supports employers in developing and maintaining policies that encourage and support employees getting vaccinated. COVID-19 vaccines are widely available and appointments to obtain vaccinations can be made at City-run immunization clinics, doctors’ offices, hospitals and pharmacies.
This policy applies to all City of Toronto employees, volunteers and students. Employees in certain divisions may have obligations in addition to this policy under division-specific policies regarding COVID-19 vaccination. For the purposes of this policy, “employees” shall be read to include volunteers and students.
The City’s Vaccination of Staff during Work Hours policy supports employees in obtaining their COVID-19 vaccinations.
Unless a legislated or regulatory exemption applies, all City of Toronto employees are expected and required to comply with applicable workplace COVID-19 health and safety measures.
All levels of management are responsible for the administration of this Policy.
Managers are expected to:
Employees are expected to:
The City will continue to closely monitor its COVID-19 risk mitigation strategy to ensure that it continues to optimally protect the health and safety of employees in the workplace and the public that they serve. To that end, and in consultation with Toronto Public Health and occupational health and safety experts, the City will continue to assess the need for other available workplace risk mitigation measures, including, but not limited to, policies that mandate mask wearing, vaccination, contact tracing, etc., as necessary.
If it is determined that additional precautions are necessary, the City may decide to deploy new measures to protect employees and the public from COVID-19, and will amend this policy accordingly.
December 1, 2022
This policy replaces the September 7, 2021 version of this policy.