Vaccination policy will come into effect March 1, 2022
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 their employment by March 1, 2022.
Council approved a recommendation to approve a COVID-19 vaccination policy at the Closed Meeting on December 7, 2021.
Implementing mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for the RMOW aligns with the Provincial requirement for all B.C. public sector employees to be vaccinated, and the Provincial Health Officer (PHO)’s encouragement to large employers to put vaccination policies in place. WorkSafeBC has advised employers in B.C. that they may choose to implement their own staff vaccination policies.
“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. “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 requirement for all employees, contractors and volunteers to provide proof of vaccination supplements the RMOW’s existing health and safety measures. The RMOW is required to have a Communicable Disease Prevention Plan in place for all of its facilities, including public spaces, as required by WorkSafeBC. The RMOW has also implemented a mandatory mask policy for all of its buildings in October 2020 and proof of COVID-19 vaccination has been required for all Meadow Park Sports Centre users age 12 and older since October 2021.
