Starting March 1, all Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) employees, contractors and volunteers will be required to have two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment.
Council approved the policy in a closed meeting on Dec. 7, the RMOW said in a release.
While the RMOW has 518 employees, it's unclear at this point exactly how many volunteers and contractors will be included in the mandate.
The policy aligns with the provincial requirement that all public sector employees be vaccinated, as well as Provincial Health Officer (PHO) Dr. Bonnie Henry’s encouragement to large employers to put such policies in place, the RMOW said.
“Throughout the pandemic, the RMOW has been diligent in following the advice of public health experts and taking all available steps to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 in our workplace and in our community,” said Mayor Jack Crompton in the release.
“British Columbia’s PHO says being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is the most effective measure to safeguard employee health and reduce the risk of transmission within the workplace.”
The new policy supplements existing municipal safety measures, like the Communicable Disease Prevention Plan in place for all municipal facilities and public spaces (which is required by WorkSafeBC); mask mandates in municipal buildings; and the proof-of-vaccination policy in place at the Meadow Park Sports Centre.
The RMOW’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate follows the lead of other B.C. municipalities, including Vancouver, Surrey, Creston, and the Capital Regional District.
The provincial government introduced its BC Vaccine Card—which applies to "non-essential" spaces like restaurants (indoor and outdoor dining); pubs; organized indoor events such as weddings and business conferences; concerts, clubs, cinemas and casinos; fitness centres, adult sports and indoor group exercise activities; and indoor ticketed sporting events—in September.
B.C.’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner issued a policy guidance document about vaccine mandates in July (and updated it on Oct. 14), stating that its position on the provincial vaccine card program is that it “is justified from a human rights perspective and will result in increased protection for those among us who are most vulnerable to the virus.”
Ultimately, the commissioner’s position is that vaccination status policies can be implemented “in limited circumstances—but only if other less intrusive means of preventing COVID-19 transmission are inadequate for the setting, and if due consideration is given to the human rights of everyone involved.”
Find the full document at bchumanrights.ca/wp-content/uploads/COVID-19-vaccine-guidance-Oct.-2021-update.pdf.
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