Arbitrator Upholds Hospital's Vaccination Policy And Cause Terminations

HR Space

Since the first Ontario labour arbitration award was released in November 2021, a consensus has emerged that mandatory vaccination policies are reasonable in many circumstances. However, none of the prior awards have been decided in the context of a public hospital, and questions have remained about whether and when an employer could terminate an employee for cause for non-compliance with a vaccination policy.

The first arbitration award about a public hospital's vaccination policy has now been released.¹ It provides clarity about how these issues will be decided in a public hospital, and when terminations may be upheld. It also provides clarity about whether remote workers in a health care environment should be exempt from vaccination requirements.