Confusion reigns as Purolator letter demands staff “attest” to COVID shot status by November 16
“Only those who do not update their status by the Nov. 16 deadline would face termination of their employment.”
Courtney Reistetter, Purolator media spokesperson
Purolator employees who have declined to reveal their medical status to the corporation are now confused as to what they are actually being asked to do in a recent letter.
The November 7th letter signed by Darrell Hayashi opens by noting that employees must attest to being “vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment.”
Purolator’s November 7th letter from Darrell Hayashi
Next it demands that employees sent home on leave without pay last winter “attest” to their medical status, or face “administrative termination.”
Road Warrior News emailed Purolator to inquire as to why the firm’s COVID policies appear to becoming more onerous while the rest of the Canadian federal government and the Canadian Forces policies are becoming less restrictive. (Purolator’s largest shareholder is Canada Post.)
Purolator media spokesperson Courtney Reistetter replied, “Thank you for reaching out. Purolator has no plans to lay off any employees, regardless of vaccination status. We have recently asked employees to update their vaccination and employment status to ensure our records are up to date with personnel changes over the past 12 months.”
After being provided with a copy of the letter employees have received, Reistetter’s updated November 15th email reads, “The policy says that employees cannot return to work if not in compliance with the policy. Those not in compliance with the policy (i.e., who do not attest to being vaccinated) will remain on an unpaid leave at this time, provided they update their status as requested in the Nov. 7 letter. Only those who do not update their status by the Nov. 16 deadline would face termination of their employment.”
“The letter and the policies are confusing by design,” says Vincent Favreau, who was sent home on leave without pay in January, 2022. “On one hand they are saying there is no demand for employees to receive the COVID shot, only that they update their employment record with a new attestation. However, we are uncertain as to what will happen if we disclose our personal medical information, stating that we have not received the shot.”
Favreau notes that a lot of new information has become available in the past year: “Certainly,we hope that Purolator will catch up with the science as other organizations are doing, including crown corporations and government agencies.”
