While U.S. Moves Toward Mandate, How Is Canada Handling Businesses And Vaccines?

Last week, Connecting the Dots reported an increasing number of U.S. businesses are voluntarily requiring their workers to either receive a COVID-19 vaccine or undergo regular testing — and that U.S. law appears to agree. (This report came before President Joe Biden announced a plan to require all employers with more than 100 employees to mandate vaccines or testing for employees.)

According to the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) association, things are less clear to the north.

In a recent press release, CME said “clear guidance from governments at all levels” is “missing” from the debate about how to handle vaccines for employees. The absence comes despite the fact that many Canadian employers want to require vaccines for their workers. Specifically, a CME survey of nearly 1,000 manufacturing companies found 69 percent of respondents support vaccine mandates and passports to protect their employees and families. CME also noted, “While some governments have begun to roll out mandates and passport systems, the focus is often on retail and public places, and not on how the rules can and will apply to manufacturers and their 1.7 million employees in the country.”

CME CEO Dennis Darby said, “We believe that with clearer rules, vaccination levels will increase, and manufacturers who can prove their workforce is vaccinated, can return to pre-COVID operational health and safety guidelines.”