Existing unpaid leave will cover Albertans taking time off for COVID-19 vaccine: province

Albertans who need time off work to get a COVID-19 vaccine can use the personal and family responsibility leave introduced by the province last year, a government spokesperson says.

Last week, British Columbia announced protected leave for workers to be able to get time off to go get a vaccine without fear of losing their job.

Ministry of Labour and Immigration spokesperson Joseph Dow said Alberta workers are also able to do this under rules introduced in March 2020 that allows for five days of unpaid leave annually to deal with health or family issues.

If a worker has already used their five days, Dow said employers and employees are encouraged to work together to find a solution.

"This could include flexible scheduling, such as different shift times or break times, or accessing other benefits in their employment contract or collective agreement," Dow said in an emailed statement.

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To qualify, an employee must have worked for the same employer for at least 90 days.

Edmonton employment lawyer Dan Bokenfohr said that while B.C.'s approach may send a stronger message about the importance of vaccination, he thinks the existing Alberta leave will cover most employees.

He also said he doesn't anticipate employers throwing up a lot of obstacles for staff who have already used up their leave days or who don't meet the 90-day threshold, and that many are already operating with relatively flexible work arrangements.

"It really is in both the employee and employers' interest to have vaccinations occur as widely and as quickly as possible, so this really is something that both parties should come to the table and communicate with as soon issues arise and work through them," he said.

As well, Bokenfohr said that appointments can be booked well in advance, that there will be a variety of locations and times available as vaccine supply increases.