Dismissal related to mandatory COVID-19 vaccination

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It was created to provide general EI information only.

There has been an update on EI policy that talks about dismissal related to mandatory COVID-19 vaccination.

If you have decided to leave your job because you did not comply to the company’s COVID-19 vaccination policy, EI processing agent may consider your decision a voluntary leave. Therefore you will not be qualified for EI benefits.

However, you may still potentially qualify for EI if you have demonstrated all actions to comply with your company’s vaccination policy but the company was unable to accommodate, which lead you to make a decision to separate from your company.

When the employee doesn’t report to work because they refuse to comply with your mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, use code E (quit) or code N (leave of absence).

When you suspend or terminate an employee for not complying with your mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, use code M (Dismissal or Suspension).

If you use these codes, we may contact you to determine:

if you had adopted and clearly communicated to all employees a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy
if the employees were informed that failure to comply with the policy would result in loss of employment
if the application of the policy to the employee was reasonable within the workplace context
if there were any exemptions for refusing to comply with the policy

source: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/ei/ei-list/ei-roe/notice-covid-19.html#h2.02

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