Heavy construction companies adjust to vaccination mandates on-site
A survey of the MHCA members indicates most companies could comply with construction project owners who might impose mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies on their worksites.
The survey, conducted in the first week of October, saw a healthy majority (65%) of 88 respondents could and would comply with such rules because sufficient portions of their own workforces are vaccinated. Some 23% of respondents said they could not or would not take work where such a mandate existed.
“This is welcomed news because as an association, and we know from discussions with our members, there has been strong encouragement of our workforce to get vaccinated against COVID-19,” MHCA President Chris Lorenc said. “It indicates our industry is ready to continue its essential services to our communities and to Manitoba’s economic recovery.”
The survey asked about members’ own policies on vaccination and testing for COVID-19 among their employees. Slightly more than 10% of the 94 total respondents have vaccine mandates (as a condition of employment), one employs routine mandatory testing in absence of such a mandate.
The respondents noted that, as employers, they are responsible for keeping staff protected, but a number also said they want to respect the personal health care information of their employees.
A number of respondents also expressed concern that vaccine mandates may become more frequent and that may be an issue for retention of skilled workers.
“We would ask staff that are vaccinated to come forward to work the project,” one respondent said, noting: “We are seeing this (vaccine mandates) more and we are thinking that this might have to be mandated for all sub-contractors to keep workers safe.”
