Below is the most recent update we have from McMaster regarding vaccination status and access to work/campus, effective today (October 18th). Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns, if you have been informed you’ll be placed on unpaid leave (or other forms of disciplinary action), if you have an exemption request denied, or general questions and concerns about your safety and the safety of your workplace.
As of Monday, October 18th, if you have not uploaded proof of vaccination or received an approved exemption you will not be permitted to access campus or McMaster-affiliated sites for any reason.
Employees who are currently approved to work remotely
In some areas of the University staff and faculty are working fully remotely this fall, with approval of their VP. If you have been working remotely and are not expected to be back on site for the balance of the fall term, please speak with your supervisor to confirm that you can continue with this work arrangement until the end of 2021. During this time you are not permitted to access campus or a McMaster-affiliated site for any reason.
As of Winter 2022, all employees will be expected to work on-site at least occasionally. Any staff or faculty who are not in compliance with the Vaccination Policy as of January 2022 will be subject to termination of employment (or faculty removal proceedings).
Employees who are currently working on site
As of October 18th, employees who have been working on site (in a full or part-time capacity) but have not uploaded proof of vaccination to MacCheck will not be permitted to access campus or McMaster-affiliated sites for any reason.
If you are in this situation, please notify your supervisor as soon as possible and follow normal protocols for reporting an absence.
You may be placed on an unpaid leave of absence as early as Monday, October 18th. You may use any earned vacation, compensating time off or personal days before starting unpaid leave. Ultimately, ongoing non-compliance with the Vaccination Policy may result in the termination of your employment with the University.
We recognize that in some cases individuals have started the course of vaccination, but are not yet considered fully vaccinated. Once individuals are considered fully vaccinated, they will be able to return to normal duties this Fall.
HR is working with supervisors to clarify the situation for individual employees and you will be contacted by HR the week of October 18th to discuss specifics related to your situation. Any approvals for remote work must be approved by the appropriate Vice-President. Such arrangements will be very limited and VP approval is required to ensure a consistent approach is used across campus and across all employee groups.
Resources
We recognize that this is a challenging time for many of our employees. If you need support, the Employee and Family Assistance Program may be accessed for wellness advice or referrals 24 hours per day, 7 days per week (www.homeweb.ca or 1-800-663-1142).