By The Canadian Press

Labour board rejected challenge of unpaid leave for unvaccinated federal staff: union

Feb 5, 2026 | 11:00 AM

OTTAWA — Canada’s largest federal public sector union says the federal labour relations board has dismissed its policy grievances over Ottawa’s decision to put unvaccinated employees on leave without pay during the height of the pandemic.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada says in a news release that it filed several grievances challenging the implementation of vaccination policy.

Starting in October 2021, the federal government’s mandatory vaccination policy required employees working on site and from home to submit an attestation of their vaccination status by the end of that month or face being placed on administrative leave without pay.

The grievances, filed in 2021 and 2022, argued placing members on unpaid administrative leave was an “unreasonable exercise of management rights and amounted to disguised discipline.”

The union says in December the labour board dismissed the grievances, concluding the vaccination policies were within the government’s management authority, and that administrative leave without pay does not constitute disciplinary action.

Best in Sport

Nanaimo celebrates Sport Achievement Awards and Hall of Fame inductions

13h ago

ROAD WORKS

Another multi-hour closure planned for Hwy. 4 at Cameron Lake

18h ago

Bruender Magic

Clippers top Chiefs in overtime thriller

20h ago

The Treasury Board has not yet responded to a request for comment.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2026.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press