Fact Sheet - Canadian Federal and Provincial Employee Vaccination Mandates
What organizations need to do to comply with Canadian vaccine mandates without violating PIPEDA.
FACT SHEET
Canadian Federal and Provincial Employee Vaccination Mandates
Protect and Ensure Compliance of Personal Health Records With Kiteworks
On October 6, 2021, the Government of Canada announced the timelines for previously announced COVID-19 vaccination requirements for federal employees and the federally regulated transportation sector.1
Federal public servants in the Core Public Administration, including members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, must confirm their vaccination status by October 29, and can be placed on unpaid leave on November 15 for noncompliance. The Canadian Armed Forces, crown corporations, and separate agencies are instructed to implement guidelines that mirror those for the core workforce, and these requirements will be issued soon.
Kiteworks helps organizations track compliance with the vaccine mandate while securing protected health information (PHI).
In addition to the requirement for government employees, full vaccination will be required of all employees and travelers in the federally regulated transportation sector by the end of October. This means that vaccination will be required for all passengers who travel using airlines, VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer trains, or cruise ships anywhere in Canada—and for the employees who serve them. A standardized proof of vaccination for international travel from Canada was announced in August.2
In addition to the federal requirements, some Canadian provinces have instituted vaccination requirements for employees like teachers and healthcare workers.3 And most Canadian provinces require proof of vaccination for entry into businesses like indoor bars and restaurants, gyms, and performance venues, for employees and customers alike.4
Records and Compliance Requirements
For organizations impacted by these requirements, there are several challenges related to compliance:
Organizations must build and maintain accurate and updated records of employees’ vaccination status, exceptions from vaccination, and COVID-19 testing results. Many businesses also must document proof of vaccination for customers.
Employers must secure protected health information (PHI) against compromise and theft by both external cyber criminals and insider threats. Vaccination records, test results, and information that might be submitted in a medical exemption request are all protected PHI.
Organizations must demonstrate compliance with both the vaccine mandate and information protection provisions in laws like the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
FACT SHEET
Canadian Federal and Provincial Employee Vaccination Mandates: Protect and Ensure Compliance of Personal Health Records With Kiteworks
The Kiteworks Solution
Kiteworks® provides a comprehensive solution for vaccine mandate compliance:
- Unifying employee vaccination records communications. Kiteworks enables simple, secure uploads from mobile devices and on the web, providing an easy solution that is scalable, even for organizations with hundreds of thousands of employees. It also ensures that attachments stay private for employees who submit their information through email.
- Tracking vaccine mandate compliance. Kiteworks automatically logs every action, including uploads, downloads, views, sends, and permission changes. It enables comprehensive tracking of vaccination records to meet and document compliance.
- Controlling for information protection compliance. Kiteworks enforces compliance controls, such as limiting access to PHI to those with a need to know to comply with PIPEDA. To document compliance for audits, it provides reporting of the control settings and all activities.
- Securing vaccination and testing records. Kiteworks protects sensitive information using a layered defense model. Whether employees submit their proof of vaccination on the mobile application, the website, or by email, the information is automatically encrypted in every send, upload, download, and save.
For more information on Kiteworks, visit www.kiteworks.com.
1 “Prime Minister announces mandatory vaccination for the federal workforce and federally regulated transportation sectors,” Prime Minister of Canada, October 6, 2021.
2 “Canada moving forward with a proof of vaccination for international travel,” Government of Canada, August 11, 2021.
3 Brett Bundale, “Canada faces wave of terminations as workplace vaccine mandates take effect: lawyer,” CTV News, October 7, 2021.
4 “Proof of Vaccination Requirements by Province,” Retail Council of Canada, accessed October 25, 2021.
