While Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland announced a mandate for federal public servants, the actual policy exempts roughly two-thirds of all federal employees.
According to Section 6 of the policy, “This policy does not apply to members of the public receiving services (e.g., Service Canada, Veterans Affairs Canada, Canada Revenue Agency); locally engaged staff at missions abroad; or members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the vaccine mandate policy will, in reality, exempt roughly 212,000 of 300,540 employees.
“As the country’s largest employer, the Government of Canada is leading by example,” said Freeland on Tuesday. “By requiring people who work in the public service to be fully vaccinated, we are putting the health and safety of public servants, their families, and their neighbours first. This also protects the safety of anyone who enters a federal office to get the services they need.
In all, the policy will exempt “call centre operators, federal judges, meat inspectors, park wardens, postal workers, tax auditors, Commons and Senate staff, soldiers, sailors and air crew and members of the public entering federal buildings,” reports Western Standard.
Moreover, the vaccination program will work on an honour system, so those affected will not even require proof of vaccination.
The crux of this exemption stems from the little-known difference between a public servant and someone employed by a Crown corporation or separate affiliated agency.
According to the Treasury Board Secretariat, the government is requesting —though not forcing — these separate bodies institute their own mandate.
