The federal labour board has awarded $5,000 to a Christian employee placed on unpaid leave after being denied a religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine policy.
Michelle Tati, a passport clerk with Employment and Social Development Canada, was on unpaid leave from Feb. 16, 2022, to June 20, 2022, after the department rejected her request for a religious accommodation, according to a recent decision by the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board, first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.
The department denied Tati’s request under its COVID-19 vaccination policy, saying she had not established that her religious beliefs prevented her from being vaccinated.
Tati argued that the department violated her collective agreement and the Canadian Human Rights Act by refusing to accommodate her Christian beliefs. The department countered that her objections were based on personal conscience and secular concerns rather than religion….