Although employees, volunteers, and placement students are free to disclose their vaccination status to other employees, volunteers, and placement students, such people, other than the Executive Director or their designate, are prohibited from asking one another if they have been vaccinated.
The Centre will not tolerate any employee, volunteer, or placement student treating any other individual disrespectfully or adversely because they have or have not been vaccinated. All employees, volunteers, and placement students are required to treat others with dignity and respect, regardless of their vaccination status, as required by the Centre’s Workplace Harassment, Sexual Harassment and Anti-Discrimination Policy.
Should any vaccination that is not currently required under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (“CCEYA”) become mandatory under the CCEYA, then all employees will be required to receive the vaccine in question unless they are subject to a specific exemption. Employees can be exempted from the requirement of immunization under the CCEYA for religious or conscience reasons by submitting an affidavit that is signed by a commissioner of oaths, notary public or justice of the peace attesting to their sincerely held convictions based on religion (including creed) or conscience. Employees can also be exempted from the requirement of immunization under the CCEYA for medical reasons by submitting supporting documentation from a legally qualified medical practitioner that indicates why the employee should not be immunized.
The Centre reserves the right to impose work-related measures for legitimate health and safety reasons upon employees, volunteers, and placement students who have not been vaccinated against an Identified Contagion. Such work-related measures could include being subject to more stringent health and safety requirements (such as wearing additional PPE or being required to undergo routine testing), modified duties, and/or being placed on a leave of absence during the outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic, subject to the Code.
Requirements Specific to the COVID-19 Pandemic
With respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kids Come First requires all individuals subject to this policy must provide at minimum one of the following:
- Proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 (i.e., having received the full series of a COVID-19 vaccine or combination of COVID-19 vaccines approved by the World Health Organization, and having received the final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days ago);
- Written proof of a medical reason, provided by either a physician or nurse practitioner that sets out:
- That the person cannot or should not be vaccinated against COVID-19 for medical reasons; and
- The effective time period for the medical reason (i.e., permanent or time-limited);
An educational session that has been approved by Kids Come First may be required by all staff regardless of their vaccination status. Individuals covered by this policy may be required to provide proof of successful completion of the educational session to the Executive Director or their designate. The type of proof required will be determined by the Executive Director or their designate from time to time, in their discretion.
As required by Kids Come First all employees, placement students, and volunteers who have not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be required to complete antigen point of care testing for COVID-19 prior to attending the workplace. In addition, until further notice, a rapid antigen test will be required 3 times per week as indicated below.
Testing requirements are as follows:
- one test must be completed by Sunday and the results of the test must be sent by email or by text to the Executive Director or her designate between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m.
- Tests will need to be completed on site on Tuesdays and Thursday of each week ;
If testing is done offsite:
- Individuals who fail to provide a negative result before a shift as required by this policy may not be permitted to attend the workplace until they provide written verification of a negative test result.
If an individual receives a positive result on an antigen test and they have symptoms, will be required to isolate (e.g., not attend the workplace) as per the current Ontario Screening Tool.
Support for Vaccination
Kids Come First will provide the following supports for people subject to this policy to receive a vaccine:
- employees are permitted to use any paid sick days or personal days to which they are otherwise entitled to for the purposes of receiving a Vaccine, or while recovering from any side effects of a Vaccine;
- assistance with booking a vaccine appointment;
- peer-to-peer support; and
- any other reasonable support required.
Privacy of Personal Information
The personal information that must be disclosed under this Policy, as set out above, is required so that the Centre can make informed decisions with respect to the health and safety measures that may need to be implemented in the workplace for the duration of the outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic to ensure that the Centre is taking all reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of its workers and the children in our care. The information is also required so that that the Centre can ensure compliance with any applicable legislation, regulations, guidelines, and/or public health guidance that may differentiate between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.
In accordance with the Centre’s Privacy Policy, employees’, volunteers’, and placement students’ personal health information will be kept confidential to the greatest extent possible, and shall not be disclosed to anyone else, unless absolutely necessary to implement health and safety requirements, as determined by the Executive Director and/or Board of Directors, in their discretion, or as required by law. The required personal health information will be stored in digital and hard copy at the Centre’s head office.
As per s. 77 of O. Reg 137/15 made under the CCEYA, the Centre is required to report certain statistical information to the Ministry of Education as may be required, including information related to the matters addressed by this policy (such as numbers of staff vaccinated). No identifying information will be provided to the Ministry in relation to this policy; all statistical information will be provided in aggregate form.
Accommodation
In all cases, the Centre will provide employees with reasonable accommodation for any work-related limitations arising from protected grounds under the Code, up to the point of undue hardship, in accordance with the Centre’s Workplace Accommodation Policy.
Policy Violations
Failure to abide by this policy may result in progressive discipline, up to and including termination of employment, in the case of employees, or termination of volunteering or a student placement.
In particular, any falsifications, misrepresentations or omissions by an employee with respect to their vacation status for the purposes of the requirements set out above may be grounds for the immediate termination of their employment for cause.
January 2023