Job Postings and Vaccine Mandates: Here's What Employers and Jobseekers Need to Know
Job ads seeking fully vaccinated workers are on the rise.
That’s according to Indeed. New analysis from the job-search site revealed that must-be-vaccinated job postings are becoming more popular and the trend is set to continue for the foreseeable future.
Just look at the research: Job postings featuring vaccine mandates on Indeed Canada shot up by 52% in October 2021.
Percentage of Job Postings with Vaccination Requirements from Indeed:
Other insights from Indeed reveal that employers from healthcare, education and social assistance sectors are more likely to mention vaccinations as a prerequisite to successful employment as opposed to other career fields.[1]
But even that’s beginning to shift. “There has been a large increase in job postings requiring vaccinations across a variety of sectors, many of which hadn’t previously mandated vaccinations among employees [like social software development, marketing and sales],” wrote AnnElizabeth Konkel, an economist with Indeed.[2]
Legal considerations for vaccine requirements in job postings
It’s important to note that jobs requiring vaccination still only represent a small percentage of postings overall. Even so, given the dramatic rise in vaccination mandates, there are a few considerations employers should bear in mind before asking applicants for their vaccine status.
We spoke with Becky Langille Rowe, a lawyer at Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP, who reminded us that employers are allowed to require the successful candidate to be vaccinated as a condition of employment and as part of their legal obligation under Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).
“But the employer should ensure that it is clear in any job postings, policies, offer letters and/or communications that the vaccination requirement is subject to the employer’s duty to accommodate under applicable human rights legislation,” says Rowe.
She also recommended that there be consistency in communication. Meaning employers inquiring about a candidates’ vaccine status should already have a workplace vaccination policy in place.
“Otherwise, if the employer hasn’t required its existing employees to be vaccinated, the reasonableness of the requirement for new employees may be brought into question.”
How should employers advise job candidates of their vaccine policy then?
“In addition to job postings, they should bring the requirement to candidates’ attention throughout the recruitment and hiring process to ensure its expectations have been clearly communicated,” says Rowe.
Should jobseekers reveal their vaccine status upfront?
We asked resume writing experts to weigh in.
Marian Bernard, a multi-certified professional resume writer said: “In the resume-writing community, Certified Resume Writers address the vaccine question on a case-by-case basis. Depending on the job posting, the industry, and our client's comfort level, we might include vaccination status in either the summary of the resume or the body of the cover letter. I am aware of a recent nursing graduate client, who is targeting medical field roles. Since vaccination is essential to this role, it would be advantageous to prominently display ‘Fully vaccinated - including COVID-19’ on this applicant’s resume.”
But Marian says that there are also valid reasons for opting out of publishing your vaccine status as it’s still personal information and can simply be disclosed during the interview process. “If vaccine status is not a requirement for the role, and/or the client is not comfortable revealing vaccination status, I would - 100% - not include that detail. Just like so many other resume ‘rules,’ there is never a clear black-and-white, right-or-wrong approach.”
Joseph Jagmohan, a long-time resume writer and career coach, agreed: “The more important people interaction is to the job, the more beneficial it is for the job seeker to include their vaccine status. For example, healthcare workers would benefit from including it but maybe not someone in another position where vaccination is not even advertised on the job posting.”
Whether or not a candidate chooses to broadcast their vaccine status (e.g. through LinkedIn or other social media channels) employers should not assume consent has been given.
“The employer should instead treat the candidate’s vaccination status as sensitive personal information and follow its established policies and protocols regarding the collection, retention and use of such information,” says Rowe. “That’s especially before sharing a candidate’s vaccination status with clients, customers or service providers, the individual’s written consent should first be obtained.”
[1] Canadian Job Postings Through August 27: Mentions of Vaccine Requirements Rising Quickly https://www.hiringlab.org/en-ca/2021/09/01/job-postings-through-august-27/
[2] Video: Job Postings Requiring Vaccination Soar on Indeed
