HR info RH Bulletin

Validation of Vaccination Requirement for Staffing Requests

As per the new Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration (including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police), all employees of the core public administration must be fully vaccinated unless accommodated based on a certified medical contraindication, religion, or other prohibited grounds for discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA).

This means that being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is a condition of employment for the Government of Canada. Job advertisements posted on GC Jobs will now include a reference to vaccination as a condition of employment.

Accommodation requests from employees or candidates who are unable to be vaccinated due to a certified medical contraindication, religion, or other prohibited grounds for discrimination under the CHRA will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

The vaccination requirement applies to all types of staffing actions, including indeterminate and term appointments/deployments, acting appointments, casual employment, part-time workers and students. It equally applies to Interchange Canada participants. Full vaccination is required for all employees regardless of position, function, location or delivery of services to the public. It applies to employees working in the physical workplace, those working remotely/teleworking and those with a flexible work arrangement.

Managers are invited to consult the Validation of Vaccination Requirement for Staffing Requests iService page for tools and detailed information on how to proceed with a staffing action based on the candidate’s vaccination status.

• Staffing action requests can be submitted to Human Resources via the Human Resources Service Centre (HRSC) only once it is confirmed that candidates meet the vaccination requirement as per the guidance included on iService.
• Accommodation requests must be reviewed and supported by the manager before a staffing action request is submitted.

The General HR Enquiry Form in the HRSC has been updated to include specific vaccination categories and sub-categories to support enquiries from hiring managers:

• For accommodation requests from candidates in the context of staffing actions:

  • Select Category: Vaccination/Other
  • Sub-Category: Accom. medical contraindication (Staffing Action) OR Accom. discrimination (religion or other) (Staffing Action)

• For questions in relation to the application of the vaccination requirement in the context of staffing:

  • Select Category: Vaccination/Other
  • Sub-Category: Staffing Advice

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Vaccination

As we move into the next stages of the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination requirement, we anticipate a significant influx in requests for HR support through the Human Resources Service Centre (HRSC) primarily affecting Labour Relations. Therefore, it would be greatly appreciated if you could encourage your managers to only submit requests of an urgent nature between now and November 15. It is important to note that all requests related to vaccination will be considered urgent. It is also expected that, with this influx, our clients may experience delays in receiving timely support even for urgent requests not related to vaccination.

In order to mitigate any service delays, please remind managers that information on numerous topics can be found on the Labour Relations iService page, where they may find answers to some of their questions. The different topics are clearly organized and easy to access. In addition, our teams have been working diligently to create useful and practical tools to guide management through the implementation of the vaccination requirement. These tools include key elements and timelines, scenarios, and FAQs that can be found on the COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Federal Public Servants iService page.

We ask that management review these essential tools created to support them as a starting point before seeking HR support through the HRSC. We expect that by consulting these tools, managers will be able to find the answers they need for their specific situations, which will in turn reduce the amount of requests through the HRSC and minimize delays in receiving HR support.

Your cooperation and patience is greatly appreciated!

Darlène de Gravina 
Assistant Deputy Minister 
Human Resources Services Branch

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ESDC’s Guide to Returning to the Workplace

ESDC’s Guide to Returning to the Workplace has the latest pandemic-related information for employees, managers and other facilitators.

New Vaccination Resources

The Guide has been updated to include a new section on the COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Federal Public Servants.

You will find information on the following:

• Key Elements, including principles, expectations and timelines;
• Scenarios to help address the various vaccination status situations;
• FAQs for managers and employees; and
• Resources linking to key federal and departmental tools and supports.

This new Vaccination section, available through the Guide and the COVID-19 Hub page, will be updated on a regular basis. Be sure to check back often.

Measures Remain in Effect

Although provincial or territorial restrictions continue to evolve, and regardless of an employee’s vaccination status, departmental guidance remains in effect and continues to reflect Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada, and Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat advice.

Therefore, all personal protective measures within ESDC workplaces remain in effect. These measures include maximum occupancy limits, established cleaning protocols, physical distancing requirements, employee active screening and mask usage.

Support to Managers

• Managers with vaccination-related enquiries should contact the Vaccination Support Network.
• Managers with case-specific pandemic enquiries can also contact their Regional Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Advisors through the Human Resources Service Centre.

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Compensation and Benefits Resource for ESDC Employees

The Compensation Services Directorate is pleased to introduce their updated and streamlined Compensation and Benefits iService site!

This new site will provide easy access to essential information, resources and tools to guide and support ESDC employees and managers on the various processes or events associated with compensation and benefits, such as; leaves of absence, retirements and resignations.

The information is displayed in the newly established iService format for a common look and feel. In addition, the layout of the information will provide a more efficient way to find compensation information from a client perspective.

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