Alberta Health Workers Impacted by COVID-19 Vaccine Rules to Receive Payouts
TL/DR –
Hundreds of Alberta health-care workers in Canada who refused vaccination against COVID-19 are set to receive financial compensation, following grievances filed with their union. As part of a recent settlement, 696 employees of Alberta Health Services and Alberta Precision Laboratories will be paid, with some receiving up to $5,000 for pandemic labor interruption. The payout includes compensation for workers who had to pay for regular Covid-19 tests to continue working on-site, and those forced to work from home are also due to be compensated in amounts yet to be determined.
Alberta Healthcare Workers Receive Compensation After Grievances Over Vaccination
Close to 700 unvaccinated Alberta healthcare workers are receiving financial compensation after filing grievances with their unions, the Alberta Health Services (AHS), and Alberta Precision Laboratories. Some employees will receive as much as $5,000 for interruptions in their pandemic labour.
This compensation arises from a recent settlement between the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) and AHS. Over 1,000 grievances were addressed by a mediator, who enforced an order for AHS to pay $5,000 each to those forced onto workplace leaves.
Healthcare workers who returned to work but had to bear the cost of regular COVID-19 tests are also fully reimbursed for documented test expenses. Misplaced employees forced to work from home will be “made whole” as per the ruling, with the exact amount yet to be determined.
Anticipation of More Payouts
Between 2021 and 2022, 1,650 full and part-time AHS staff, not fully immunized, were placed on unpaid leave; some returned to work but had to pay for their own testing. This settlement caters to the HSAA union members, but negotiations continue for others. The United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) is also seeking compensation for lost wages and employer-imposed testing expenses amidst 82 grievances.
Experts anticipate that these healthcare workers, along with those from the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, will receive settlements through mediation.
Lack of Clear Precedence
While health and religious reasons were cited for not getting vaccinated, many opted out under the premise of personal freedom, making the mediator’s task challenging. Law faculty Professor Lorian Hardcastle from the University of Calgary emphasises the public’s likely frustration upon learning some individuals are compensated for personal choice-based objections.
Hardcastle references other cases concerning mandatory vaccination being resolved independently. She notes an ideal situation would have court decisions on such issues for binding precedents, providing certainty for future pandemics and vaccination policies.
Response from AHS
Regarding this issue, AHS released a statement that they will implement the binding recommendations for payment to eligible employees who were denied requested medical and accommodation leaves of absence and placed on unpaid leave due to non-compliance with the policy. AHS believes these recommendations strike a balance in addressing grievances whilst acknowledging an employer’s right to enforce such policy. The health minister’s office has yet to respond, and HSAA declined to comment further.
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