Nearly 500 employees axed as City of Toronto enacts COVID-19 vaccine policy

Nearly 500 City of Toronto employees are out of work for not complying with the City’s COVID-19 vaccine policy.

The City announced that they would be enforcing a mandatory vaccine policy last August, and have slowly implemented the policy. They granted an extended deadline to January 2 so that all employees had a chance to get two doses. That deadline has come and gone, and as a result, 461 employees have been terminated.

The City said that as of midnight on January 2, 98.6% of employees were fully vaccinated in compliance with the policy. That’s 32,478 fully vaccinated City staff.

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The 461 employees who were terminated had already been on unpaid suspensions so the change in their job status shouldn’t impact the City’s day-to-day functions.

There are also 37 employees on unpaid leave waiting for decisions on their accommodation requests. Another 248 employees have had one dose and their fate will soon be decided depending on if they’ve booked their second dose.

“I am extremely proud of the Toronto Public Service for demonstrating their leadership once again and responding to the call to get vaccinated,” Mayor John Tory said in a statement.

The people terminated due to their vaccination status make up a small portion of the City of Toronto’s staff. Staff who are unable to get vaccinated for legitimate reasons are being accommodated, according to the City.