The City continues to see an increase in the number of employees receiving COVID-19 vaccines. Overall, 98.8 per cent of staff have at least one dose of vaccine, with 97.3 per cent of City employees – an increase of 384 staff members since November 18 – now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
As of end of day on Thursday, November 25, the vaccination declaration information for active City staff is:
As of November 25, 541 staff (an increase of 26 compared to November 18) have been placed on unpaid suspension for non-compliance with the policy, and 75 staff (a decrease of 10 compared to November 18) are on a leave of absence pending review of an accommodation request. Additionally, 15 employees who were on leave have now returned to work after becoming compliant with the policy.
This week, as a result of recent direction from the Ministry of Health which revised the recommended second dose interval to eight weeks for Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, the City extended vaccination status review meetings for those who disclosed they received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by October 31, until the week of January 2, 2022. This extension will allow all staff at least eight weeks from the time of their first dose to receive their second dose.
Staff who are currently suspended for non-compliance with the mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy will now remain suspended until the week of January 2.
During the week of January 2, all employees who are found to be not compliant with the policy will have their employment terminated for cause (previously, the deadline was December 13).
As the City continues the implementation of its vaccination policy, it does not anticipate impacts to critical and priority services. There are no additional changes to recreational programs to report this week. Emergency response by Toronto Police, Toronto Fire Services or Toronto Paramedic Services will not be impacted as a result of the COVID-19 vaccination policy.
The City has taken a leadership role in making COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for its workforce and is meeting its obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to take every precaution reasonable to protect employees from workplace hazards, including COVID-19.
The City will continue to comply with its human rights obligations. Staff who are not able to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine under a protected ground set out in the Ontario Human Rights Code, will be entitled to accommodation.
The City’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy is available to read online.
Quote:
“It is encouraging to see that week after week we are seeing an increase in the number of employees becoming fully vaccinated. This is an important step in providing a safe workplace for our employees, and helping to protect our community.”
– Chris Murray, City Manager
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