As per the federal government’s new mandatory vaccination policy for federal public service workers, all CBSA employees must attest to being fully vaccinated by October 29, 2021, or face being placed on administrative leave without pay two week after the attestation deadline.
The policy does allow for employees who are unable to be vaccinated — based on a certified medical contraindication, a religious exemption, or another prohibited ground of discrimination as per the Canadian Human Rights Act — to request an accommodation. CIU recommends that members who intend to request such an accommodation do so before the October 29 deadline, which is fast approaching.
Members who wish to submit an accommodation request should:
- Inform their manager of their intention to ask for an accommodation as early as possible, before October 29.
- Obtain the necessary documentation justifying the request from relevant authorities (for example, a qualified medical professional or religious authority figure).
- Contact the CIU Human Rights Representative, Murray Star, at murray.star@ciu-sdi.ca for additional guidance.
As this policy applies to the entire public service and not just CBSA, it is worth noting that the federal government has made it clear that they would be very stringent in granting accommodations regarding mandatory vaccination. Should accommodation requests be denied, we will continue to defend our members to the best of our abilities. It is important to stress that such cases often take considerable time to resolve.
Should you have further questions regarding the accommodation process, please contact the CIU Human Rights Representative, Murray Star, at murray.star@ciu-sdi.ca.
