I am working from home and not in danger of infecting anyone so why is the policy being applied to those who are working remotely?

The federal government’s vaccination policy applies to all employees in the core public administration, including the RCMP, CBSA, Correctional Services and employees working remotely.   This is just as much about protecting you from serious illness as it is to protecting others.

The current default work-from-home policy is a temporary pandemic measure put in place to protect the Health & Safety of all Canadians. However, as the Employer has explained, employees may have to enter the workplace to collect equipment, attend scheduled meetings or events, access sensitive information, or address urgent operational requirements.   

In addition, the Employer is in the throes of planning to ease restrictions over time and have employees return to the workplace.  All employees asked to return to the workplace by a certain timeline will be required to comply, subject to any teleworking arrangement they may conclude before or after their return to the workplace.  No one should expect that the current remote working arrangement is a full-time or indefinite arrangement and that all operational requirements are being met during the pandemic.  Courtrooms are expected to also resume their in-person activities over time despite the fact that many technological improvements exist to allow for virtual hearings.