‘They were the experts, not us:’ Canada Post reconsiders staff masking policy after controversy

Canada Post says it’s in the process of altering its mandatory masking policy following reports that some staff were sent home from work for wearing N95 masks and not ones supplied by the postal operator.

This comes after a report by the Winnipeg Free Press that spoke to a Canada Post employee who was dismissed from the job after his bosses declined to let him work while wearing an N95 mask.

“I thought it was some kind of a joke at first,” Corey Gallagher said in the interview. “I’m just a little frustrated at how behind the company is.”

CityNews has confirmed through an employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, that staff can only wear “Canada Post-issued masks.”

When reached by email, a spokesperson with Canada Post wouldn’t confirm or deny the workplace policy but did say the approach has evolved in the last two years.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, the health and safety of our employees have remained our number one priority. Given the complex and evolving nature of the pandemic, we have strictly adhered to the guidance and direction from the health experts responsible for protecting Canadians from COVID-19,” spokesperson Jon Hamilton said in a statement to CityNews.

“We understood from the start that they were the experts, not us, and therefore following their lead was crucial to keeping our people safe.”

Hamilton says Canada Post has followed advice from Public Health Canada and “respected workplace directives” courtesy of Employment and Social Development Canada. He also confirms the mail service provider is actively working with the federal government “to seek clarification” on the matter.

“Our approach has evolved over the last two years as their guidance has evolved. This includes our workplace mask requirements,” Hamilton added. “We are now working with federal authorities to seek clarification and understand their recent guidance so that we can continue to ensure we are doing everything possible to keep our employees safe.”

The Public Health Agency of Canada’s guidance says non-medical cloth masks can be used but don’t have to meet any standards.

PHAC says medical masks and N95-type respirators offer better protection than cloth masks.

CityNews has reached out to Ontario’s Ministry of Labour for comment.

-With files from The Canadian Press