“Are you vaccinated?”

Job seekers should get used to hearing this question from prospective employers as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on. A majority of our clients have told us they will require employees to be fully vaccinated against the virus in order to return to the workplace.

Our clients are among the growing number of employers mandating vaccines to get people back to the office. The federal government and Canada’s five largest banks have also introduced such policies.

Still, vaccine mandates can be controversial. An individual may not want to divulge their vaccine status, while employers have a duty to keep their workforces safe – and that can include measures, like vaccines, to stop the spread of disease during a global pandemic.

Many legal experts believe employers are well within their rights to implement vaccine mandates given the trying circumstances. Others expect legal challenges to the practice. Regardless, such mandates are here and, for now, they’re here to stay.

At Winchesters, we encourage both our clients and our candidates to be prepared for questions about vaccine mandates. We expect it will become even more prevalent as people return to working together in person.