A majority of small and medium-sized businesses in Canada support a workplace vaccine mandate, according to a new survey.
The survey by KPMG found 62 per cent of respondents are implementing or plan to implement mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies for employees.
It found 84 per cent of respondents believe vaccines are crucial to avoiding another lockdown and that certain places or jobs should require vaccine passports.
Norm Keith, a partner with KPMG Law LLP, says workplaces should consult a lawyer before implementing such a policy.
He says there could be legal implications if a workplace doesn’t protect employees with a vaccine mandate, or if its vaccine mandate does not allow exceptions.
However, he says many small and medium businesses are becoming comfortable with imposing vaccine mandates as more government and corporate employers begin to announce their own inoculation policies.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug 19, 2021.
The Canadian Press