Ontario Human Rights Commission policy position: individuals who refuse to get vaccinated (anti-vaxxers) do not have a right to accommodation
September 28, 2021The Ontario Human Rights Commission released a policy position last week (September 22) saying individuals who refuse to get vaccinated out of personal preference do not have a right to accommodation.
The British Columbia and Manitoba Human Rights Commissions took the same position in their own recently-released human rights guidelines for COVID-19 vaccinations.
These policy statements would appear to support the retailer, not the employee, in situations where retailers are accused of being discriminatory in letting an employee go when they refuse to get vaccinated due to personal preference (e.g. due to misinformation, distrust of science).
These are policy statements, not final legal rulings on the matter. Regional human rights tribunals and, if there are appeals, the courts would have final say.
View British Columbia position
For questions or more information contact
Kate Skipton
Senior Policy Analyst, Government Relations
kskipton@retailcouncil.org
416 467-3744
