The federal government has announced it will drop its COVID-19 vaccine mandates as of June 20, 2022. This means that the vaccination policy for federal public service workers of the core public administration, including the RCMP, will no longer be in effect. Crown corporations and separate employers were asked to do the same. 

As of June 20, 2022, those members on Leave Without Pay (LWOP) or another accommodation status will be allowed to return to work. Should circumstances of the pandemic change, the federal government may adjust their policies to align with public health guidance. We expect that separate agencies will soon be adopting the same approach and will keep you informed.

Unfortunately, this information was shared with the PIPSC President through the media before the employer informed us of the change. We, together with other unions, have been asking for an update for weeks. We have informed the Treasury Board of our disappointment and hope that collaboration will be a priority moving forward.

This is a welcome update from the employer as we have been pushing for this policy to reflect the current status of the pandemic. PIPSC filed policy grievances in May 2022 against the Mandatory Vaccination Policy for all members who remain on LWOP beyond April 6, 2022. Those grievances remain in effect until we have further details. 

Our members have gone above and beyond throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to keep their colleagues and the Canadian public safe. We encourage all members to continue to follow public health guidelines and keep their vaccinations up-to-date.

The employer must maintain a safe workplace, especially as members return to their workplaces. We will continue to advocate for flexible and telework arrangements as it’s a virtual world and our members have proven their ability to be productive while working remotely. 

PIPSC filed a policy grievance (in English) on Friday, May 13, 2022 against the Mandatory Vaccination Policy for all members of the Core Public Administration including the Royal Mounted Police for all members who remain on Leave Without Pay (LWOP) beyond April 6, 2022. As for all other existing employer mandatory vaccination policies that require review, we are monitoring the timelines. Policy grievances will be filed in due course.

The Treasury Board has failed to review the Policy for Mandatory Vaccination within the 6-month period as required by the policy. Together with other unions, we have called for a review given the changed circumstances surrounding the pandemic.

The employer’s failure to review the policy in the face of loosening COVID-19 restrictions is a flagrant abuse of management authority in the workplace. The Treasury Board has broken their commitment to review and update the policy.

Continuing to keep (or place) unvaccinated employees on LWOP beyond April 6, 2022 is an unjustified and excessive measure in light of the current context. 

It’s important to remember that PIPSC continues to support vaccination and the health and safety objective of the policy overall. However, given the shifting landscape of the pandemic, we believe the employer’s policy is now unreasonable. 

As it is generally the case when filing a Policy grievance, we recommend that members also file an individual grievance against their LWOP beyond April 6, 2022. These individual grievances will act as a placeholder for members to seek individual redress while we advance the policy grievance. Individual grievances will be placed in abeyance pending the outcome of the Policy grievance. Once the Policy grievance outcome is known, we can address any pending individual grievances as appropriate. Using the grievance template we have created will facilitate the filing and handling of your grievance. Should you wish to file a grievance, please complete Section 1 of the template and contact an Employment Relations Officer.

Note that if we are already assisting you with an ongoing grievance related to the Policy (accommodation request or other), it is not affected by the Policy grievance. Even if you have an ongoing grievance, we recommend filing a new individual grievance as described above to contest your continued LWOP beyond April 6, 2022, in the event that your initial grievance was not successful.

For those members working in separate employers and agencies that have identical policies, we are working on policy grievances and accompanying individual grievance templates that will correspond to each employer’s expected review date. More info will be made available as these are filed.

Please also review our Mandatory Vaccination FAQs as well as the Treasury Board’s Policy for Mandatory Vaccination.

Please contact an Employment Relations Officer should you have further questions.

The Board of Directors would like to thank all members for their efforts to create a safe workplace and community over the past two years.

Since the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) announced their vaccination policy last summer, PIPSC has had issues with both the policy and its implementation. There was no proper consultation, nor a comprehensive process of correctly identifying all the possible circumstances faced by our members. Appropriate solutions were not developed by the employer to deal with many individual situations.

It is unacceptable that the employer implemented a policy with such harsh impacts on our members without appropriate consultation. Our Employment Relations Officers have been, and continue to be, available to support members who find themselves in an unjust situation.

As we view the policy as a temporary measure, and with the high vaccination rates achieved across Canada, we urge the employer to determine when the policy will no longer be required. As provinces ease restrictions, the employer must do the same and allow members on Leave Without Pay (LWOP) to come back to work. Furthermore, the employer needs to ensure appropriate health and safety measures for all. Once the employer lifts the vaccine policy, PIPSC will, of course, continue to work with members that have any active grievances that arose while the policy was in place.

We will also continue to insist that the employer respect the Privacy Act and ensure that information related to a member's proof of vaccination be restricted to those with a “need to know.” Access to personal and private information must be limited only to those who are responsible for obtaining and verifying the vaccination information. The employer must also inform our members when they will dispose of private records.

We will continue to engage the TBS in talks related to vaccinations, masking and returning to the workplace. We demand that any future changes to your working conditions are made in collaboration with PIPSC and unions.

Together, we will get through this and ensure a safe and secure future.

The Government of Canada paused return to office plans due to the COVID-19 Omicron variant.

Now, PIPSC and 12 other federal unions are advocating for clear and consistent telework guidelines from the Chief Human Resources Officer. Any workers that can perform their duties from home right now should be working from home. These guidelines should be applied equally across regions and departments.

Essential workers also need to be prioritized for vaccine booster doses. Booster doses are recommended to increase protection against the Omicron variant. Many critical and essential workers cannot get booster doses right now because they do not meet their province or territory’s criteria. The federal government needs to step up to help them get a booster dose without delay.

We sent a letter to Treasury Board President Mona Fortier to address these concerns.

READ OUR LETTER

You can also read the President of the Treasury Board’s response.

READ THE HON. MONA FORTIER'S RESPONSE

As you’ve probably heard by now, the Treasury Board Secretariat has released the final version of its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for all federal public servants, including the RCMP.

We encourage you to review the full details of the policy so that you understand how it affects you.

The Prime Minister announced that Crown corporations, agencies, and other employers in the federal public service will be expected to implement mirror policies, but the Treasury Board has clarified that this policy will not immediately apply to them.

As the union representing the scientists who approved the COVID-19 vaccines, PIPSC welcomes all efforts to increase vaccination coverage in Canada. That includes a vaccine policy that makes vaccines more accessible to our members and accommodates legitimate reasons for which an employee may not be vaccinated.

While an employer can’t force employees to get vaccinated, it can encourage vaccination and even make it a condition of work in certain jobs.

The consultation process with the Treasury Board was rushed and unsatisfactory. Nevertheless, we must work with the policy in its current form.

The consequences for non-compliance are very serious. Our primary concern is ensuring that all PIPSC members are in compliance, either by becoming vaccinated or by receiving accommodation in accordance with the policy.

The policy allows for accommodations in a few specific cases:

• a certified medical contraindication
• religion
• another prohibited ground for discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act

Here’s what you need to do to comply with the policy:

1. If you are not already vaccinated, make an appointment as soon as possible
2. Submit your attestation of vaccination as instructed by your department or agency
3. If you need accommodation, use the tools provided by your department or agency to request one

If your request for accommodation is unreasonably denied, our employment relations experts will then be able to review your individual case and offer recommendations. Please use this special vaccination help form to request help only after your accommodation request has been denied.

Some of you have expressed privacy concerns about providing your attestation of vaccination or other personal medical information to your employer. We will be diligently monitoring this issue to ensure your personal information is protected.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience as we work to ensure all PIPSC members are treated fairly and respectfully.

As a result of the Board’s decision to make full vaccination against COVID-19 a mandatory requirement for attending in-person union meetings, events, or activities, PIPSC has developed a system to automate the proof of vaccination process.

Please note that this is a one-time registration process. Once you have submitted your proof of vaccination and it has been approved, you are eligible to attend all PIPSC in-person meetings or events. 

The system is set up using our “Expense Claim” system in Concur. If you have ever submitted an expense claim, you’re already familiar with the process. However, even if you have never used it before, we’ve made it easy for you by outlining the 6 steps below.

How to upload proof of vaccination

Step 1. Sign into your Concur account and select “Create a new Expense Claim”. To sign in to Concur, click here.  [If you have never used or signed in to Concur, here’s a start-up guide to help you set up an account].

Step 2. Select “Proof of Vaccination” when asked for the “Meeting Type” and “Meeting Field”. Enter “N/A” in the “TAN/Meeting ID” field

Step 3. Click “Add a New Expense” and select “Vaccination Passport” under Section 07. Other

Step 4. For the “Transaction Date”, enter the date that you received your second valid dose. For the “Amount”, enter $0.00 

Step 5. Click on “Attach Receipt” and attach your Proof of Vaccination. This should be the dose administration receipt for your second vaccination dose.

Step 6. Click “Submit Report”

PIPSC staff will review your record. If there is an issue with your vaccination record, someone will be in touch with you to follow up. If you don’t hear back, it means your proof of vaccination has been approved.

The federal government announced today that it would mandate COVID-19 vaccines for all federally regulated employees.

As the union representing the scientists who approved the COVID vaccines, PIPSC welcomes all efforts to increase vaccination coverage in Canada. That includes a vaccine policy that makes vaccines more accessible to our members and accommodates legitimate reasons for which an employee may not be vaccinated.

While an employer can’t force employees to get vaccinated, it can encourage vaccination and even make it a condition of work in certain jobs. A blanket policy without the necessary legitimate exceptions, however, will fail.

That’s why we’re working with the government to share our views about what they’ve missed in their proposed policy, so that it can be improved and they can get this right. 

Update:

We’ve heard from the Treasury Board that they will be releasing their revised draft policy in a few days. This means that we still don’t know important details – including how members who can’t be vaccinated will be accommodated. It also makes it difficult for us to respond to individual member concerns. Our best advice for members who anticipate they will need accommodation is to wait for the policy to be released before seeking union support.

From the moment vaccines were approved, PIPSC has been pushing the government to meet its obligation to provide vaccines to employees in critical positions. At the time, the government passed responsibility to the provinces. Now that it seems more interested in vaccine coverage in federal workplaces, we want to see them adopt our recommendations.

We are also calling on the federal government to continue other measures to reduce exposure to the virus, such as working from home, staggered schedules, and flexibility for family care.

On May 10, 2021, PIPSC President Debi Daviau appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO) to discuss the government’s handling of the pandemic’s impact on its employees.

Tens of thousands of our dedicated PIPSC members have continued to faithfully serve Canadians since the start of the pandemic. Right now a small percentage of them still remain in their regular workplaces to provide critical services, but approximately 90% of our members are currently working from their home offices.

In general terms, we are reasonably satisfied with how the government has handled the crisis’ impact on its employees. There have been issues with individual departments or even local managers misinterpreting or simply ignoring Treasury Board directives, as well as inconsistencies in implementing safety protocols and around working from home. But overall we give the government a passing grade so far.

That said, existing collective agreements need to be modified or tweaked to ensure that public service managers have the ability to be flexible with employees while still respecting our contracts. Leave with pay (Code 699), duty to accommodate and hours of work are examples of issues that need to be reviewed in light of the pandemic.

At this stage our main concerns revolve around adapting to the new work reality and about giving employees the choice to work at home or in an office, whether a satellite location or their regular workplace.

This means ensuring proper employer support for home offices and telework. It also means a big change in the public service work culture. Because of the very serious impact the pandemic has had on mental health and work-life balance, it also means that the employer must develop new tools for ensuring the wellness of public service employees.

It is critical for the Treasury Board and individual departments and agencies to continue to consult and work closely with unions to ensure that all these points are being addressed. The government’s response to the pandemic and its treatment of federal workers has been commendable so far – let’s not change it now.

If you’re a PIPSC member in the core public administration, you should take paid leave from work to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as you’re eligible in your province or territory.

You can request up to 3.75 hours of leave using code 698, which covers the time required to travel to your vaccination appointment and to get your shot.

Then, repeat the process for your second dose!

Getting vaccinated is an important part of the government’s effort to end the COVID-19 pandemic. If possible, try and schedule your vaccination appointment to minimize absence from work. However, managers should be flexible to allow you to get the earliest possible appointment, regardless of whether that’s during your regular work hours or not. Each province and territory is responsible for vaccine roll-out, so it’s important to stay up-to-date with your local vaccination timeline.

WHERE TO GET VACCINATED

If you have any COVID-related questions, we’re here to help. Whether you’re a parent juggling work with your childcare responsibilities, an employee working from home without an ergonomic setup, or someone feeling the isolation blues, there are resources for you. We are here to help you navigate these never-before-seen times.

COVID-19 FAQs

We’re working with separate employers to ensure that, if you’re outside the core public administration, you can take paid leave for your vaccination as well. You should ask your manager about how to access time off for vaccinations.