Balancing employee attendance and employee wellness was part of
the dilemma in the recent case of Vancouver Coastal Health
Authority v. B.C.G.E.U. and others. The employer there
had an attendance and wellness promotion program that affected
employees across a number of bargaining units. As the name
suggests, the program included elements of both attendance
management and wellness promotion. The stages set out in the
program did not apply to employees with disabilities.
The affected unions brought a grievance with respect to certain
aspects of the policy that they argued punished employees who
respected the employer's request that they not report for work
if they were ill.
Arbitrator Vince Ready affirmed that employers have the right to
introduce an attendance management program ("AMP") and to
take corrective measures to address absenteeism issues. He
found, however, that certain aspects of this AMP were punitive
rather than corrective.
