Alert level: yellow OPQ: Q-402 Session: 451 Suggested file name: federal_employees_and_COVID_19_pandemic Tabled on: Agencies: TBS|RCMP Estimated questions: 4 Estimated responses: 1 Original filename: Q-402, federal employees and COVID-19 pandemic.pdf External links / references: (none detected) Extracted PDF text preview: ORDER/ADDRESS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ORDRE/ADRESSE DE LA CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES Q-402 Mr. Kelly (Calgary Rocky Ridge) Mar 17, 2022 / Le 17 mars 2022 RETURN BY THE LEADER OF THE GOVERNMENT IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS DÉPÔT DU LEADER DU GOUVERNEMENT À LA CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES Mr. Lamoureux PRINT NAME OF SIGNATORY INSCRIRE LE NOM DU SIGNATAIRE SIGNATURE MINISTER OR PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY MINISTRE OU SECRÉTAIRE PARLEMENTAIRE May 4, 2022 / Le 4 mai 2022 (TABLED FORTHWITH /DÉPOSÉ AUSSITÔT) INQUIRY OF MINISTRY DEMANDE DE RENSEIGNEMENT AU GOUVERNEMENT PREPARE IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH MARKING "ORIGINAL TEXT" OR "TRANSLATION" PRÉPARER EN ANGLAIS ET EN FRANÇAIS EN INDIQUANT "TEXTE ORIGINAL" OU "TRADUCTION" QUESTION NO./NO DE LA QUESTION Q-402 BY / DE Mr. Kelly (Calgary Rocky Ridge) DATE March 17, 2022 Reply by the President of the Treasury Board Réponse du président du Conseil du Trésor Greg Fergus PRINT NAME OF SIGNATORY INSCRIRE LE NOM DU SIGNATAIRE SIGNATURE MINISTER OR PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY MINISTRE OU SECRÉTAIRE PARLEMENTAIRE QUESTION With regard to applications by federal employees for exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate on religious or medical grounds: (a) for each federal department or agency, how many exemption applications on medical grounds were received; (b) for each federal department or agency, how many exemption applications on religious grounds were received; (c) how many applications in (a) and (b) were approved; (d) how many of the rejected applications in (a) and (b) have prompted grievances by the respective employees’ unions; (e) of the grievances in (d), how many have been resolved to date; (f) of the grievances in (e), how many were resolved by accepting or confirming rejection of the application respectively; (g) what guidance did the government provide to management in federal departments and agencies with respect to evaluating applications in (a) and (b); (h) what criteria did management use in evaluating applications in (a) and (b); and (i) how were discussions between management and employees applying the exemptions in (a) or (b) documented? REPLY / RÉPONSE ORIGINAL TEXT TRANSLATION TEXTE ORIGINAL TRADUCTION Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) on behalf of the Government of Canada: Information regarding requests for accommodation can be found in Annex 1. Deputy Heads of each department are responsible for establishing accommodation procedures related to the requirements under the Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and in keeping with the Directive on the Duty to Accommodate. Individual requests for accommodation based on a certified medical contraindication, religion or another prohibited ground of discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act, are addressed on a case-by-case basis while ensuring privacy and confidentially are respected, and the process, supporting material, the decision (including the accommodation measure if applicable), is documented in accordance with departmental standards and the Privacy Act. The fact that a discussion took place between the employee and their manager is noted in the GC-VATS system.  Managers are not making these decisions on their own. They are supported by experienced human resources professionals who receive policy guidance from the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer, and are supported by legal and privacy advisors. Internal procedures for handling these requests must fully align to the Privacy Act and associated Government of Canada policy instruments. All data on employees’ requests for accommodation and their vaccination status are collected in accordance with the Privacy Act, the Policy on Privacy Protection, and its related instruments. If an employee is not satisfied with a manager’s decision that the duty to accommodate does not apply, they should first discuss with their manager the reasons for the decision. If they are not satisfied with the response, they can submit a grievance as per the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act. Each organization is responsible for their own grievance process. X x x Organization Accomodation requests received: medical grounds Accomodation requests received: religious grounds Accomodation applies: medical grounds Accomodation applies: religious grounds Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency 0 3 0 0 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 16 39 3 11 Public Health Agency of Canada 14 20 3 4 Canadian Transportation Agency 0 0 0 0 Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada 2 4 0 1 Veterans Review and Appeal Board * * * * Library and Archives Canada 4 6 1 6 Canada Border Services Agency 56 152 19 58 Courts Administration Service 3 9 0 2 Accessibility Standards Canada * * 0 0 Canadian Dairy Commission * * * * Elections Canada 6 11 3 9 Canada School of Public Service 4 3 1 1 Canadian Grain Commission 3 1 2 0 Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat 0 0 0 0 Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages 1 3 0 3 Copyright Board Canada * * * * Military Police Complaints Commission of Canada * * * * Canadian Space Agency 4 11 1 5 Employment and Social Development Canada 210 327 57 51 Q-402 - Annex 1 Q-4022— March 17, 2022 — Mr. Kelly (Calgary Rocky Ridge) — With regard to applications by federal employees for exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate on religious or medical grounds: (a) for each federal department or agency, how many exemption applications on medical grounds were received; (b) for each federal department or agency, how many exemption applications on religious grounds were received; (c) how many applications in (a) and (b) were approved; (d) how many of the rejected applications in (a) and (b) have prompted grievances by the respective employees’ unions; (e) of the grievances in (d), how many have been resolved to date; (f) of the grievances in (e), how many were resolved by accepting or confirming rejection of the application respectively; (g) what guidance did the government provide to management in federal departments and agencies with respect to evaluating applications in (a) and (b); (h) what criteria did management use in evaluating applications in (a) and (b); and (i) how were discussions between management and employees applying the exemptions in (a) or (b) documented? NAME OF ORGANIZATION: Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) 1 of 3 Organization Accomodation requests received: medical grounds Accomodation requests received: religious grounds Accomodation applies: medical grounds Accomodation applies: religious grounds NAME OF ORGANIZATION: Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) Women and Gender Equality Canada 1 1 1 1 Fisheries and Oceans Canada 42 63 11 4 Indigenous Services Canada 31 42 7 7 National Defence 112 167 26 15 Environment and Climate Change Canada 35 38 13 9 Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada 28 55 7 21 Veterans Affairs Canada 21 25 9 19 Impact Assessment Agency of Canada 1 4 0 4 Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario * 6 * 2 Global Affairs Canada 32 33 7 5 Military Grievances External Review Committee * * * * Department of Finance Canada 3 3 1 3 Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada0 0 0 0 Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions * * * * Office of the Secretary to the Governor General 0 3 0 3 Shared Services Canada 50 92 25 18 Canadian Human Rights Commission 1 0 1 0 Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada 14 * 6 * International Joint Commission (Canadian Section) * * * * Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada 65 86 4 4 Infrastructure Canada 3 4 2 2 Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada * * * * Office of the Information Commissi