Unvaccinated City of Toronto workers to be suspended without pay starting Nov. 1

City of Toronto workers who do not provide proof of being vaccinated against COVID-19 will be suspended without pay beginning Nov. 1.

City officials said in a news release Wednesday that the suspension will last six weeks and if staff don’t provide proof of full vaccination by Dec. 13, they will be fired “for cause, as they will have chosen not to comply with the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy.”

However, the statement said employees who have not yet received their first shot will be given the opportunity to provide proof of their first dose by Oct. 15 and will then have until Nov. 15 to get their second dose in order to avoid suspension.

Employees who have been suspended will be allowed to return to work if they end up providing proof of full vaccination.

“The City will continue to comply with its human rights obligations, and employees who are not able to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine under a protected ground set out in the Ontario Human Rights Code, will be entitled to accommodation,” the release said.

The City released its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for employees on Aug. 26.

Officials said while the number of staff not fully vaccinated is “low,” plans are being put in place to “mitigate any service or staffing impacts resulting from this policy enforcement.”

The statement said as of Tuesday, 95 per cent of active City staff have completed the vaccination disclosure form; 89 per cent of those who disclosed their status are fully vaccinated and five per cent are partially vaccinated.