As ordinary people, it’s hard to remember that we’re living in times that will eventually become history. Recent pandemics haven’t been quite as impactful as COVID-19 and it certainly feels like we’re experiencing a once in a lifetime event – with exception to centenarians of course who lived through the flu pandemic! It’s been interesting, and at times terrifying, times for anyone moving through the world.

As managers, there have been so many extra layers to the day to day. Our whole world changed, from how we manage sick time to the mass exodus out of the office. This crisis has really taught us to change on the fly and find our gaps.

Of course, the latest and greatest twist on managing through the pandemic is the issue of vaccination. A lot of organizations and workers are concerned about effective vaccination rates and have a lot of questions – rightly so! We’ll try to answer some of those questions.

Do I Have the Right to Know My Staff’s Vaccination Status?
 
We’ll keep this one real simple – the answer is no. Your staff’s medical privacy is protected. While you can certainly ask, your staff have the right to refuse answering or requiring proof.

Can I Make A Policy That States Workers Must Be Vaccinated to Work Here?
 
Piggybacking off of the question above, you very likely can’t. At this time, laws in Canada are not equipped to mandate vaccinations in the workplace and could potentially violate privacy laws. Case studies in our country also offer quite murky waters, as some cases say that mandatory vaccination is okay and others were stricken down. However, in healthcare settings this has been up for debate that a case could likely survive a legal test. In the meantime, it’s best not to try this until it is clearly settled.

What About a Softer Policy, Where Vaccination is Still Needed but Accommodation is Given?
 
This has potential, but you could still face a legal test. For example, writing a policy for an office environment that states that those who are not vaccinated will have to work from home during an outbreak could satisfy both sides. Having said that, this does open up potential legal tests based on – you guessed it – the employee’s right to privacy.

Well…Sounds Like I Can’t Do Anything…?

It certainly feels that way! Thankfully, there are some options to be considered that might be up your organization’s alley.

Education Initiatives – The most important you could try is educating your staff on vaccination. What the vaccines are, who manufactured them, where you can get it done, risks versus benefits, or anything to combat misinformation would be helpful. Studies do show that if you take an educational, kind route to promoting health sciences, more people are willing to listen and bend.

Vaccine Incentives – Some companies, such as Mondetta Clothing located in Winnipeg, are offering bonuses for vaccinated employees. Offering this incentive can certainly help drive up vaccinations and make staff feel valued. However, be aware that this could stigmatize employees who choose not to vaccinate even if you kept everyone’s privacy and it’s not settled at this time if this could hold up should a grievance happen in a unionized environment.

Vaccine Lotteries – A cousin to the incentives, offering a vaccine lottery is a smaller incentive to try out. Privacy could be better protected here, as no one would know who all entered, just who won! Is it a perfect solution? No. You’ll likely still have employees feeling a certain way about being excluded.

Vaccine Drives – In some jurisdictions, you’ll be able to bring vaccines onsite. Captain Dan’s Seafood out in New Brunswick held a vaccination clinic at two of their locations in early June and were able to vaccinate 122 employees! Look into your Province’s regulations and see if this works for you.

Government Grants – Some provinces are offering grants to organizations and non-profits that could make effective change in the vaccination rates. A great example would be the transportation industry. Using these grants, you can supply effective funding to any of the above.

If All Else Fails, Be Kind – Most importantly, you don’t know the reason why someone may be vaccine hesitant. It’s very easy to write people off in this world, but please take time to consider that some people may be hesitant due to religion, health, socio-economic status, or even from marginalized groups who have suffered the brunt of awful health experiments in the past. Listen, be patient, and take the time to educate without pushing. As Managers, we have the tough job of making sure that all our staff feels equal, even the ones who aren’t on the same page as you.

So, What’s Next?

We encourage you to have open discussions with your staff, conduct as much research as possible, and consult a Labour Lawyer if you need to. Once you get a clear picture of how you can help drive public health initiative, tailor what you want to do to your business/industry needs and go full steam ahead.
 
Of course, let’s not forget…we’re all in this together!