Paid time off for a COVID-19 vaccination? Depends on the workplace

Large businesses in a range of industries areproviding paid time off for staff to get vaccinated againstCOVID-19.

CBC reached out to some ofthe biggerworkplaces across Ontario:banks, grocery stores, auto and food manufacturers, and the Ontario Public Service, some of whichalso operatein other provinces. All but one said they are paying for employee time off, similar to an election day.

• Scroll down to see a list of companies and their Ontario vaccination policies

Resolute Forest Products,apulp and paper manufacturer in northwestern Ontario with 900 employees, was the lone employer CBC spoke to that isn't giving paid time off during the work day.

"We believe that vaccination centres offer enough flexibility to our employees, thanks to extended opening hours and availability on weekends," said Resolute'sLouis Bouchardin an email. "We feel comfortable that everybody will have an equal opportunity to be vaccinated."

Resolute is helping run a vaccination clinic in Quebec, which its many employees there can access,but does not have plans to run any clinics in Ontario.

In contacting a dozen companies, CBC found a patchwork of vaccination policy.

Loblaw Companies Limited, the company that runs Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws, Independent, Zehrs and other grocery stores, offers its nearly 100,000 employees three paid hours to getvaccinatedduring a shift. It is among the companies CBC contacted that maintain similarvaccination policies for employeesin other provinces.

Walmart, by comparison,is giving its about 51,000 Ontario employees one hour per dose, whileRBCpays for four hours per dose for its 40,000 Ontario employees, includingstudents and contractors.Scotiabank, with 30,000 Ontario employees,promises "any time spent during working hours travelling to or from, or attending a vaccination appointment, will be paid."

Meanwhile, the Ontario Public Serviceencouragesits 64,000 employees to "make every effort" to book avaccinationappointmentoutside work hours. If that'snot possible, employees aretold to work with their manager to figure out flexibility.

Magna International and Maple Leaf Foods have hadon-site pop-up vaccination clinics, offering shots during the work day, while Walmart employees who work at stores can get vaccinated"on the clock"inside the company'spharmacies.

None of the workplaces CBC contacted are making vaccinations mandatory, instead "encouraging" it and educating employees.

Vaccinations valid under sick leave policy

Vaccinations areincluded inthe three days offered by the province's newpaid sick-leave plan. Some employers are taking advantage ofthat, includingMaple Leaf Foods.

Not everyone is covered under this provincial plan, though. The Ontario Ministry of Labour said it applies to any employees that fall under the Employment Standards Act, including temporary foreign workers and temporary help agency employees.

• More on the province'spaid sick days plan

However, independent contractors and federally regulated employees do notqualify.

Simran Prihar,labour and employment lawyer for Goldblatt Partners, worries precarious employees won't be giventime off, particularly those in non-unionized work environments or who are part time.

"It's just an individual going to their manager to ask for the time off and being denied," she said."There are not avenues that will provide that employee an easy way to have paid time off to do this absent an employer having the good will and willingness to provide that."

Chris Aylward, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), says every employeeshould be able to get vaccinated during work hours, especially given how hard it has been to getappointments in some parts of the province. He represents215,000 workers across Canada, mainly federal public sector employees.

"We wouldn't want a manager out there saying, 'What do you mean, you've got to go, 2 o'clock on a Thursday?,'" he said. "You shouldn't suffer a financial loss because you want to go and get vaccinated."

The Ministry of Labour says any employee who feels their employer is not following the rules for example, by not offering vaccination time under this plan should filea claim with the ministry online.

If the ministry finds the workplace didn't follow therules, it couldbe fined hundreds oreven tens of thousands of dollars.