Surrey council, staff part of city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate
Posted November 10, 2021 10:57 am.
Last Updated November 10, 2021 10:59 am.
Everyone who works for the City of Surrey will soon be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This week, council voted to be subject to the same vaccination requirements as city staff.
Starting Jan. 4, 2022, all city staff and politicians will have to provide proof they are fully immunized in order to continue to work. Those who have not provided proof of vaccination will be able to keep working if they regularly undergo rapid testing, paid for by the taxpayers.
Those employees will also have to take part in an online education program about the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccinations.
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By Feb. 1, 2022, workers who have not proved they are fully vaccinated can continue working with rapid testing, but they will have to pay for them.
If a worker refuses these requirements, the city says they will be put on an “immediate leave of absence for a minimum of 30 days.” That leave of absence will be unpaid, unless the worker has banked vacation time to use.
“Employees will be permitted to return to work if they provide proof of vaccination prior to the end of their leave period. Upon the expiration of the leave of absence, employees who do not provide proof of vaccination or comply with the rapid testing requirements will be subject to disciplinary action,” reads a statement from the City of Surrey.
Volunteers and contractors will also be subject to the vaccine mandate. Those who are not fully vaccinated by Jan. 4 will not be allowed inside city facilities or work alongside city employees.
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Last month, the City of Vancouver announced all municipal employees need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 6. Workers who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, or because of their membership in a protected group defined by the BC Human Rights Code, will be accommodated, the city said.
With files from Lisa Steacy
