Thomas Stefanik quoted by Benefits Canada on mandatory coronavirus testing for unionized employees

Thomas Stefanik spoke to Benefits Canada on a decision from Arbitrator Dana Randall which has ruled that unilaterally-imposed, bi-weekly testing for COVID-19 at an unionized retirement home is reasonable when weighed against the need to prevent the spread of the disease.

Arbitrator Dana Randall has ruled that unilaterally-imposed, bi-weekly testing for the novel coronavirus at a Woodstock, Ont., unionized retirement home is reasonable when weighed against the need to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“The decision tells us that, in this particular environment, mandatory COVID-19 testing is a reasonable exercise of management right given the nature of the test, which is not intrusive, and the serious harm it seeks to prevent,” says Thomas Stefanik, a partner and head of the employment and labour group at Toronto-based Torkin Manes LLP, counsel for the employer, Caressant Care.

Stefanik believes the decision will carry considerable weight, as he knows of no other rulings on the issue. “We also presented evidence that most Ontario unions had accepted mandatory testing, which indicates that the community considers it to be a reasonable measure.”

To read the full article, please visit Benefits Canada.