Bulletin
TST-CF – Clarifying vaccination and paid sick leave for Federally regulated Employees
May 18, 2021
To: All MoveUP members at TST-CF
On Monday, our table officers sent out a bulletin on issues related to receiving your COVID-19 vaccination as well as paid sick leave entitlements.
I wanted to follow-up that email with you directly because, as your workplace is a Federally regulated one, it means your employer does not legally have to follow the provincial employment standards act.
This may be an issue when it comes to taking paid time off to get your vaccination as the employer does not legally have to provide the three hours of paid leave that workers in BC and other provinces are otherwise entitled.
Is my employer required to give me time off to get vaccinated?
Your work should not, and must not, be a barrier for you to get vaccinated, whether you are going for your first dose or your second dose. Getting vaccinated is an important way to protect yourself from COVID-19, as well as your family, your coworkers, and your community.
Your employer must not prevent you from attending your vaccination appointment. If you are denied taking time off to get vaccinated, please let your job steward know immediately.
Am I entitled to paid time off?
The Canada Labour Code provides paid personal leave of up to three days if you have three (3) consecutive months of continuous employment with the same employer. This is the only means of paid sick leave provided under the code.
Your collective agreement also allows you to accumulate paid sick leave at the rate of one-half day sick leave credit per month worked to a maximum of eight (8) days each year for all regular full-time employees who have completed their 90-day calendar probationary period.
Am I able to take unpaid time off?
The code provides you with several options to take unpaid leave including up to five days of unpaid leave to, among other reasons, treat an injury or illness or to take care of health obligations for any member of your family. Additionally, the code also grants an unpaid medical leave of absence from employment of up to 17 weeks of as a result of personal illness or injury or to attend a medical appointment during working hours.
Please see the Canada Labour Code for more information on your rights.
We are continuing to work with all our employers to ensure that our members have the adequate and appropriate time to receive their COVID-19 vaccine.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at mnovak@moveuptogether.ca.
In solidarity,
Mike Novak
Union Representative