Nunavut Employees Union says using vacation time for isolation “unfair”
“It’s a slap in the face”
Government of Nunavut employees strike in front of the Nunavut Employees Union head office in Iqaluit in 2015. (File photo)
Government of Nunavut employees who opt to travel south this summer say they’re being forced to use personal vacation time while in mandatory COVID-19 self-isolation.
As per the GN’s requirements, anyone who plans to re-enter the territory must first complete a 14-day quarantine period before they can return north.
But employees say that policy is unfair, and that workers should not have to jeopardize their income and personal time during a global health crisis.
The issue became apparent “almost immediately” once the GN put in place restrictions on travel to and from the territory in late March, said Bill Fennell, president of the Nunavut Employees Union, which represents 4,800 government employees.
The union has met with various government ministers and officials to relay employees’ frustrations over the last couple of months.
“We told them it’s unfair,” Fennell said. “You have essential service people with no quarantine going right into the workforce. But if someone wants to go see a family member they haven’t seen for a while, they have to use leave.”
“Unfortunately there is nothing in the collective agreement that would prohibit that, so, really, it’s just talking to the politicians and trying to get them on side,” he said.
COVID-19 has already put undue stress on workers and has meant increased workloads for some, the union said.
Forcing employees to use vacation time or annual leave also drives a wedge between certain union members and other categories of government employees and representatives, Fennel said.
“We have a lot of casuals who come here to stay for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, while indeterminate people are based here,” he said. “And we’ve lost some longtime people in recent months.”
More recently, the GN announced that MLAs and other government representatives are exempt from self-isolation requirements.
“It’s a slap in the face,” Fennell said. “Sure, it would be best to have a staycation, but that’s not workable for everyone.”
Fennell said his discussions with government officials suggest there is sympathy for the position of employees, but the GN has maintained that this is a decision made by its chief medical health officer.
For its part, the GN said it’s made sure to communicate with employees throughout the pandemic.
“When the Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) established the isolation sites for all Nunavummiut returning to Nunavut, our employees who wished to travel south were informed of the need to comply and take into account isolation requirements when planning their leave,” said the Department of Human Resources’ acting deputy minister, Grant McMichael, in an Aug. 6 email to Nunatsiaq News.
“For as long as the isolation sites are in place, GN employees, like all Nunavummiut who voluntarily travel outside of Nunavut, must isolate at a GN isolation site for 14 days prior to returning to the territory,” he said.
“The 14 days isolation period is considered as part of the employee’s leave time, unless operational requirements call for remote work while in the isolation sites, with prior approval from the appropriate department.”
Speaking of a slap in the face… my mom cried when we told her we weren’t coming down at all this summer. You can suck it up and deal with the consequences of your actions. Entitled to irresponsibility…
Now to hear from all the sad and jealous folks who aren’t in the union and who wish they were but would never admit it.
Simple,leave without pay,why did they wait so long
That us better then nothing, my boy got medivac on the 10th, I work at the Issatik coop and never got paid at all,nothing what so ever. Nunavut coops need some benefits put in to their employees, not just the mangers, then maybe their would be more people who would want to work for them.. Just saying..
These are the concerns of a very small, vocal and privileged group that absolutely needed to get out of Nunavut for mostly personal reasons. Most GN employees stayed and had a pretty nice summer in Nunavut.
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This isn’t a good look on the union that represents me and my colleagues. This is the exact reason why some unions get a bad name… It becomes less about workers rights and more about the comfort of the loudest bozos in the orgs who can get the union to wprk for them. Smarten up NEU.
I am also with the NEU and do not think this is were they should be putting any effort in. I know at this time we do not have enough people in Nunavut with the appropriate education to fill all the roles and we need southerners but come on this quarantine problem is really only a problem mostly for the southerners. Do i enjoy southern vacations? yes i do but if i needed to go south i know what that will cost me in leave (though i would really not want to spend 14 days in a hotel with the kids, so no thanks). I do wish the inter-community flight schedules were better though.
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Now the fact that it is the same flight north that has essential (non quarantined) workers and those that did the 14 day quarantine cooped up for 3 hours to Iqaluit, not to mention the extra couple hours a the airport and even more time on the planes to the other communities. This is the real problem. how about one day fly essential workers, the next day fly those that did quarantine.
Not to mention that you only get the extra days off if you are remaining in the territory. I worked through the shutdown and didn’t miss a day, while other employees were at home. What makes my time less valuable than others. By the way “not my voice” many people from all races and incomes go south for a holiday in the summer time. How dare you make a comment like that insinuating that travel south is for the privileged.
1) never said it had anything to do with race. 2) maybe privileged wasn’t the right word, “entitled” would be better. Or “self-centered” maybe? Those types come in all shapes, sizes and colour.I have absolutely no sympathy for anyone who feels they deserved some me-time outside Nunavut during a pandemic … and then complain when the clearly established quarantine rules work against them. I’m sure those people don’t feel too bad about bumping medical travel patients from the quarantine hotel either.
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Also, “how dare you” assume that people working from home = free time. Yeah a lot people did nothing while working from home, but those are the same people who do nothing at work. Many people somehow worked from home while trying to raise kids. Going back to work was a blessing for many.
Correction to File Photo:
QEC Employees on strike and it was 2015 not 2016.
As for people going on non-essential travel /vacation from the territory should use their annual for the isolation hub.
Mmmm, lots of folks talking about entitlement, but it is much simpler than that, the collective agreement very clearly gives quarantine leave. There should be no need to use vacation time if that is what is in the agreement.
It will probably take many years to work is way through the broken grievance and labour relations system in Nunavut, but I can foresee all kinds of people getting 14 days of vacation time or pay in lieu one day in the future.
Why can’t I work from the hub? I worked for two months from home afterall. Explain that HR?
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The Dept of HR wants its arbitrary control. This forces people to not take vacation.
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How does it make sense that new employees get paid to isolate, but I need to take vacation?
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The only people forcing this at the GN are senior bureaucrats with cottages and sea planes who can get away from what is otherwise lowered quality of life that comes with living in Nunavut.
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Entitled? Employees being forced to isolate in a hub, contrary to the Charter, should not be forced to effectively ‘pay’ for it by using their vacation.
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The rest of the naysayers are just private sector jerks who don’t have vacation perks or locals who were never going south anyway and were going out to their family cottages and hunting grounds.
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Good Job NEU. You actually do something apparently.
The GN had no problem paying people to work from home when they had zero cases in Nunavut but all of a sudden, “you can’t work remotely from the COVID19 Isolation hub down South with cases…you must use your vacation time.” Nonsense. Thank you NEU for speaking up.
Where was HR at the beginning of the pandemic when all these issues should have been addressed? So many issues impacting employees that should have had appropriate strategies in place already to address them, including consultation with the Union. Was this done? These are terms and conditions of employment affecting us as employees, you owe us that much. You are too busy trying to control us rather than work with us. It’s about time the NEU took a stand. I stand with you in solidarity!
So if you stay in Nunavut with ZERO cases of COVID19, the GN will pay for you to stay home and isolate for 14 days with Special Leave but if you are down South isolating for COVID19 where they have actual cases, they will not pay employees and force them to use vacation time instead- does that make sense?
Does the GN think everyone is in a position to stay in the North forever? The only people not having an issue with this are the ones who have their family and support systems here with them in Nunavut. What about the many GN employees who cannot afford to stay long term in Nunavut because their families are not here or they cannot access good health care and other essential services because these services are terrible in the North so have no choice but to travel South. Or the GN employees that could not stay home during the state of emergency and still had to work every day non stop during COVID19- so they should just work forever and ever and not have time to see their children and spouses or take care of themselves- are GN employees slaves?
So GN employees should spend $5000 to travel within Nunavut to do a “staycation” – is the GN going to pay for the ticket to Resolute Bay? And wait – it’s okay for MLAs to travel South for “meetings” and NOT isolate and avoid using GN vacation time but the rest can’t? Give me a break, GN.
if all GN travel is posted on the website no matter the pandemic or not it will correct some of these wrongs.
yes some MLA will travel to “meetings” but keep note of them and do not reelect them. Some do not care but some will.
Quarantined Leave is for people who are infected…it’s a personal choice to go south….and costing the GN millions!
This union should be more concerned about signing the expired collective agreement, they getting involved in people’s personal choices going south. If you live and claim northern residency, then suck it up butter! It’s your choice no one if forcing you to leave. GN should not be paying for your 14 day hotel stay…they should cover essential services and medical patients only.
If you feel it is absolutely paramount that you have to go south to see your southern family, then use your time earned as an employee, it not crucial that your leave.
As a GN union employee stop wasting the money that we pay you and drop this issue. FYI there is a global pandemic..no one should be traveling!
The GN realistically has no choice but to pay. These people, as Nunavut residents can not be denied entry to the territory. Nor can they be denied the freedom to leave the territory.
The GN can’t be in a position to impose a financial burden on people to exercise their absolute right to be in their home.
The GN accepted this when the made it impossible for Nunavummiut to isolate in Nunavut. It is a GN choice, to be paid by the GN.
It’s a pandemic and people shouldn’t travel? Do you live under a rock? It’s not March anymore.
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Everyone in Atlantic Canada is traveling there this summer and they have almost no cases. No, it is not essential travel only. BC and the West are doing well also and people are enjoying vacations and time off from what has been the most stressful year many have ever experience here in Canada.
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In Nunavut its no, stay here or pay in vacation to sit in our illegal hubs with garbage food, unstable medical travel patients boozing it up, and free exposure to essential workers and new people entering isolation. No at home isolation or work from isolation is even being offered.
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Travel out of territory is crucial for many residents for mental health, family and r&r. It is essential for the GN to retain its employees since it cannot staff little more than half of all jobs, so it is really in the GNs interest to make this possible.
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No, it is people like you who say suck it up, who have all supports in Nunavut, boats, quads, cottages, family, lifelong friends and the like or have cut all ties with the south who spout off this rhetoric.
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People will start quitting by December. Good luck having running water, guarding prisoners, and having care at a hospital beds in Iqaluit when everyone quits. Oh, and enjoy paying for everyone to be rehired and moved back in the spring :). Good policy GN.
If there is a pandemic why are essential workers being admitted to the Territory with absolutely no isolation and pre-screening? Fully 33 of the people in my recent return flight had not quarantined. How is that making us safer? How is forcing Nunavummiut to use accrued entitlements anything other than an illegal disincentive against leaving the territory?
To the people that think isolating in a hotel for 14 days for COVID19 is a “vacation”….they should think again. There is nothing “relaxing and fun” about isolating in a hotel for 14 days. For GN to think that COVID19 isolation down South is vacation for employees, it’s laughable. Was there not a recent article about the chaos and fights that were happening in the GN isolation hubs in Winnipeg? The GN should not be dictating to people how to use their vacation time-period.
There are people who also dont think it is a ‘vacation’ when they visit their family. but they still chose to and use vacation days for that.
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but thats not me I love my family and look forward to the next time i see them when ever that may be.
But MLAs can avoid using vacation time and isolation to attend “meetings down South”.
Okay Chief Medical Officer….quite clear that they bend the rules only for those in power.
Isolating for COVID 19 is NOT a vacation – it does not matter if this COVID 19 isolation happens up north or down south- COVID19 leave should be used for this and a special leave was created by GN for this purpose but they are only allowing people to use it in Nunavut where they have no cases but not down South where cases are rampant. Brilliant.
While the idea of staying in Nunavut long term would be ideal, let’s face it- this is not a sustainable reality. Nunavut is under resourced when it comes to essential goods and services therefore, many people have to travel South because some important services cannot be accessed in Nunavut.
Nunavut also has a large transient work force who work for the GN and while I get there are also issues with this (GN should strive for more local Inuit employment)- let’s be reasonable here – not everyone in Nunavut is living with their family or children or with any strong support systems. How long does the GN expect people to be away from their families and is not spending time with family or family bonds a part of Indigenous values?
While I get they want to be proactive in preventing COVID19, the GN should also be fair and ethical. We cannot keep people hostage in Nunavut forever (provinces down South are opening up even with cases being present) and people should have the right to use their vacation time for how they see it fit and the reality is that Souther travel is a reality for Nunavut as Nunavut largely benefits from it and is sustained heavily by it.
Sad to say, but staying long term in Nunavut can actually put someone mentally and physically at risk…… because the Nunavut environment is not fully developed and resourced for everyone to be able to stay long term and be okay. Just my 2 cents.
Well some people who work for the GN are getting none, no approved vacation! We would be lucky to get vacation so that we can isolate, the GN is going to pay out or vacation so we loose it!
I agree with the comment made by “Consistency”. Since essential workers who do not isolate are on the same plane as everyone who does isolate, it’s a waste of money to put people in the hubs. All it takes is one infected essential worker to spread it to everyone on the plane. I’m surprised there aren’t more news stories related to that. It makes zero sense. Apparently, we’ve been lucky but that won’t last forever. Rotating the flights is the best solution, essential workers one day, hub workers the next. Not rocket science. It’s ridiculous that employees have to use their vacation time for the hub and then sit in an enclosed space with someone who hasn’t isolated. There’s no point. It’s not going to break employers to give their employees an extra 14 days vacation and a lot of people can work from the hub and then put them on a separate flight.
Here’s an example of GN’s shitty POV on retention of employees – any employees. People originally from the South don’t all necessarily cut ties with their Southern family and friends. People who are originally from Nunavut who have family in the South (maybe by choice, maybe on medical, etc) don’t necessarily cut ties with them either. GN needs to realize that if they don’t allow people the time off they need, and the time off they are entitled to in the CA, then eventually, some will choose to work at places that are more flexible – maybe in the territory, maybe not. The attitude of expecting employees to give up work life balance in a place where it’s so expensive and time consuming to travel at the best of times, is stupid, and causes at least a portion of GN turnover – and that’s across the board – nurses, office employees, teachers, etc.
If Nunavut was a place where I could see a doctor right away when I need to, or I could access specialized health and essential goods and services or the work environments were not so stressful and toxic and traveling within Nunavut was not so expensive and decent accommodations were available for intercommunity travel and essential workers could actually get some time off for their mental health and I could actually see my close family and friends – then yes, I would do a staycaytion but since it is not…South it is..vacation time or not, I am out.
That’s a lot of negativity rolled into one little paragraph. Life up north ain’t easy but I think you have “grass is greener on the other side” syndrom. Hope your vacation makes you feel better and get to see all those doctors you’ve been putting off.
Sometimes the grass actually IS greener elsewhere. Pointing that out does not indicate one has some kind of ‘syndrome’
The mandatory 14 days isolation needs to be in effect for everyone, Essential worker or not.
Now the matter or having to use personal vacation days for the mandatory 14 days of isolation, we’ll how about everyone be granted pay and not just gov’t workers.
The Nunavut either steps up for all or no one.
So nice to see NEU coming out to support ALL of the members that your represent. Last time I checked you represent other workers besides GN employees. Those workers are being forced to take the same leave by their employers but I don’t see any of them mentioned in this article!
The GN is going to lose a ton of employees very quickly. I’m already looking for work down south, and this blatantly anti-worker policy is the primary reason for that. If I don’t find something down south by Christmas, I still won’t be returning in the new year. This is a discriminatory policy specifically targeting workers who aren’t originally from Nunavut.
I think it’s preposterous that the Government is asking people to use their vacation time to self-isolate. I’m not in the Union, but I support the NEU here. I think a lot of people are missing the point. I agree to self-Isolate no problem, but why should I, as a Nunavummiut, not being trusted by my Government? Am I a second class citizen? Do I have less rights than other Canadians? Or simply am I a moron and a completely irresponsible human being?? Dr. Paterson would have to explain that to me! The Government policy during this pandemic has been a complete inconsistent set of improvisation, period. The only reason there is no case here in Nunavut is that we got lucky so far. The Hubs in the South are a real shit show, and they know it. They have spent millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money because they want to avoid shaming people that can not respect the rules and that are untrustworthy. I feel it’s very presumptuous on their part to judge us Nunavut Inuit and Nunavummiut as being irresponsible. In light of this pandemic who the hell wants to catch this virus anyway and spread it to other people. I think you have to trust your own population that they will do what is necessary to avoid the hot area for contamination, and you will protect yourself in public. No other Canadians have been asked to be incarcerated in a hotel compound for 14 days with security guards. Not only it violates our fundamental right as Canadians, whether your Inuk or not, but it is frankly insulting to the population of Nunavut.
We as Canadian have the guaranteed freedom of movement under the Charter of Rights, and forcing us to stay incarcerated in a hotel room for 14 days with guardians at the door is totally unacceptable and unsustainable under section 1 of the Charter of Rights. Forcing people to self-quarantine in time of pandemic would probably acceptable and reasonable but to force you to go to a hub under guard that doesn’t pass the Art. 1 of the Charter. I invite Nunavummiut to contest Dr. Patterson’s measures in Court. Let’s start a petition. Let’s support the Union because they are right. It’s not only GN employees but everybody that is being abused here. I’m very capable of self-isolate, and I don’t need my Government to dictate me where I should isolate.
As far as GN employees not being allowed to work from outside the Territory for two weeks is entirely irrational. I haven’t heard one good argument for not allowing them to work from home or under the circumstances in the Hubs. Is it ideology or purely obstinance from the GN senior management? First, they had let employees work from home for weeks when we didn’t have a single case in Nunavut. What is the difference now? Is it because it’s in Ottawa, Winnipeg or Edmonton? What is the difference? Logic and rational do not prevail at all. Secondly, it would be in the best interest of the employer to allow their employees that quarantine to use the time to works instead of doing nothing. This is a wasted time for everyone. I agree with some readers that being incarcerated in a hotel compound is not vacation time. I could use my vacation differently, believe me! For the ones that believe that some of us are privileged, get your head examined. Every single worker in Nunavut has the right to his vacation time. None of us have signed a work contract that says we would be forbidden to take our vacation hardly earned, pandemic or not. The Government can not impose me to staycation or dictate where I can go, period.
This idea that you can go down south but is your choice is a false narrative and simply not an option when the GN force you to take your own vacation to self-incarcerate in a hotel in Ottawa or other hubs. Dr. Patterson has not offered a shred of evidence to support that hotel incarceration is the most effective way to stop the virus in Nunavut, nor has he prove that containment of the virus could be done by asking Nunavummiut to self-isolate upon their return to Nunavut. I think we should be given the option, isolate at home or the hotel because right now people are getting on these flights without having quarantine in the hubs. Are they just believed on their own word? Why can I not get the same preferential treatment? Why MLAs, the Member of Parlement and the Senator get a pass at this? Are they immune from the coronavirus, or are they merely trustable, and we are not? Dr. Patterson’s explanation doesn’t stand here (implying they needed to be excluded from the quarantine requirement because of their constitutional obligations) What a joke! What about my constitutional rights and yours?
What does citizenship have to do with public safety? You raised some questions about quarantine before flying back up to Nunavut and I would ask you this: What if you caught covid 19 and brought it back and devastated the territory? I’m guessing you would say you had no idea how bad it could be. No, the government can’t dictate how you spend your vacation but it can try to at least stop a devastating virus from decimating a vulnerable territory.
Think of it this what
If you go on vacation your employer says you have to spend ten extra day of your earned vacation time, because your employer will not let you come back to work.
Think about it outside the NEU and GN would anybody put up with that.
I Get where they are coming from. But why only for GN employees? NEU does service other agencies.
The employers do have a point though. It is employees decision to vacation out of the territory and it is required to isolate. So what about the employees that chose not to leave the territory for vacation? Then they will have to give them a bonus also.
Would you be willing to pay out an extra 3-5k to your personal employee out of your pocket? I know we all would take the extra pay, but not pay it out.
As for the being able to work from isolation. Some jobs cannot be done remotely. And that also opens up a whole new can of worms. Shows that people will be able to work from the south remotely. Then they will argue that the jobs can be done living in the Southern Hemisphere and still collect High Nunavut wages and benefits/living allowance without having to set foot in the territory or pay high cost of living prices.
The GN is very afraid of the internet and the fact that almost every single job can be done from home, and by extension the south. They are afraid because politically inuit should be doing the jobs locally. Forget efficiency. The fact is its not 1999 and the GN could half all wages and be run out of the south at full capacity and with more competent staff.
man, a whole lot of entitlement here.
for those who say you can work from isolation hubs like you worked from home, just ask some other Managers how well that worked out. you see people who should have been working from home, how many emailed went unnoticed, didn’t bother checking until the afternoon because they just woke up at 11:34 am? did anyone even bother logging into their email from home, or blame in on bad internet?
it was basically a two month paid vacation.
now yes, it would be nice to go down south for a break. hell, it’s been a hellish few months up here after a long winter, who wouldn’t want a low fat, double shot, caramel frappuccino (not me, just a venti coffee, whatever venti is). but if you really do want to go down south, go for it. but know you will have to use your annual leave for your time off. and if you don’t have enough leave for isolation, lieu time or LWOP.
easy.
Managers have the means to discipline employees fooling around while working from home. A web conference surprise during work hours is easy enough.
Some valid points have been raised with this piece.
Can the GN legally force Nunavut residents to isolate in a hotel?
Can the GN dictate to employees how to use their vacation time ?
What is the criteria for allowing MLAs to be exempt from isolation down South but not GN employees?
And for people saying that leaving Nunavut is a choice … is it really a choice? Are there not circumstances where people NEED to leave – is it really a choice ?
Interesting points.
A good reporter would ask these questions.
For some reason no one at the press conferences can ask basic questions. Do you have a legal opinion supporting this? How can Dr. Patterson justify allowing MLAs South but not GN staff? Why can’t people isolate at home?
“But if someone wants to go see a family member they haven’t seen for a while, they have to use leave.”
Yes, that’s what leave is for.
It’s our personal choice if we decide to travel down south for vacation. The GN is already doing so much covering the cost of isolation.
Do your part for this global pandemic and stay within the territory unless you absolutely have to.
Very well said. It is a personal choice to go south. Employee is taking a vacation down south, it just happens that isolation is required at the time. If travelling for medical reasons, then there is sick leave. Or dip into your bonus northern living allowance.
Great job to point out that GN is already covering the cost of isolation even though said person( and most times their families) is going on leisure travel so that is multi room isolations.
What people do not understand that in the US also there is a lot of states that require 2 week isolation also before entering the state. So it is not just targeting Nunavut.
You are missing the point and clearly lack analytical skills.
The NEU is not saying that employees should not use vacation time to see family. The NEU is saying that vacation time should be not used for a mandatory COVID19 isolation and the GN should not be dictating to employees how to use their vacation because COVID19 isolation is not a vacation. What is so hard to comprehend about that? Did you not read the article ?
And this idea that going down South is a “choice” is nonsense. There are circumstances where people HAVE TO and MUST travel down South – COVID19 or not. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to stay in Nunavut indefinitely. And yes, people have the right to take care of their well being and if that means leaving Nunavut because it does not have adequate resources, they have the legal right to.
And if the GN wants people to stay in Nunavut forever, then they should put resources and services in place that would make that possible but oh wait … they can’t otherwise, they would not have such high turnover rates with staff and people wanting to leave. Taking care of your well being is not entitlement and when the GN learns to take care better care of their staff, then perhaps people will not see the need to leave so much.
Ok then if they remove the requirement of using leave for the 14 quarantine then they should have to pay for the 14 day quarantine. I bet for a lot the price of the quarantine is equivalent to 2 weeks pay… or even more. then we would find out what they care about more… vacation or money. or instead of making them pay they can use LWOP, which will impact vacation time.
The GN pays for new employees wages for 14 days and per diems to isolate. It pays contractors close to $900 per day per worker to isolate. Why not employees? Why are MLAs allowed to go with no quarantine at all? Your LWOP solution doesn’t address these issues.
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Inconsistency is to say employees taking vacation won’t be allowed to work from the hub when they just worked two months from. Home. The easy answer is to grant sick leave. If they force you to isolate and not work, that isn’t an employees fault.
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Also it is illegal to require residents to pay to enter any province or territory. That’s why no one is paying for the hubs.
I agree with “Not True”!
Lots of people have a lack of fundamental analytical skills and they should abstain from commenting. They don’t get it at all! Lol
I would argue that what the GN is doing is not only unfair it is illegal and unconstitutional. Forcing employees to take accrued time as a result of a policy decision is illegal. The whole notion of these enforced hubs is an unconstitutional infringement on our rights of freedom of mobility. And before anyone bleats about it keeping us safe. I would like to point out that on my recent flight back to Iqaluit fully one third of the passengers were so called “essential workers” who had not hubbed and were coming from God knows where with no screening or other protections. Think about that for a second.
I just isolatee for 12 day and I was having a smoke with a new guy just coming to the hotel so they mix the new and old people isolatin
Essential workers don’t isolate that is why they are being separated from the passengers who have isolated in the hubs when they board the plane.