(Toronto – August 24, 2021) – Today, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC), with guidance from legal experts at McCarthy Tétrault, released Vax-Pass Tenets, a proof-of-vaccination framework to support reopening plans for Ontario private sector businesses. The Framework outlines five guiding principles for private sector businesses to adopt in the development of their independent proof-of-vaccination frameworks in the absence of a domestic system.
“We are pleased to present a proof of vaccination framework to support organizations in their reopening plans,” said Rocco Rossi. “We have said from the beginning that we support a centralized, Canada-wide approach to COVID-19 proof-of-vaccination that could be easily used to confirm vaccination status for international and domestic use. So, in consultation with vaccine policy thought leaders at McCarthy Tétrault, we’ve innovated and advanced a common framework for our Ontario business community. In the absence of government guidance on domestic applicability, we hope these principles can avoid a piecemeal approach in the province.”
Implementing proof-of-vaccination will incentivize more people to get vaccinated, allow businesses to safely reopen and mitigate against the risk of further lockdowns. Public health restrictions, such as capacity limits, could then be modified accordingly based on the lower risk involved with close contact among fully vaccinated individuals, achieving the dual purpose of safe community engagement and productive economic recovery.
“We have already seen a number of businesses, organizations, associations, unions, and post-secondary institutions implement their own proof-of-vaccination policies,” add Rossi. “With this Framework, private sector businesses can implement similar programs with shared confidence.”
The Vax-Pass Tenets provide businesses with five principles to consider:
- Safety: Businesses must take all steps reasonable in the circumstances to protect the health and safety of their workforce and place of business.
- Science: Vax-pass programs should be consistent with current science and public health recommendations on COVID-19.
- Accommodation: Businesses must provide human rights-related accommodation to the point of undue hardship.
- Privacy: Businesses should use the least intrusive mechanism to verify vaccination status.
- Transparency: Businesses should engage in clear and ongoing dialogue with employees and customers to manage understanding and expectations and educate stakeholders about the importance of COVID-19 vaccination.
The Ontario Chamber Network will continue to advocate for a safe economic and societal recovery. Read the Vax-Pass Tenets.
This document is not human resources advice or legal advice. Please consult your human resources professionals and legal advisors as you set up your vax-pass program.
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About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
For more than a century, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has been the independent, non-partisan, indispensable partner of Ontario business. The OCC’s mission is to support economic growth in Ontario by defending business priorities at Queen’s Park on behalf of its network’s diverse 60,000 members.
