Vaccination Requirement: Summary of Government Regulations for Employers and Business Owners
Posted on October 5, 2021 in Business, News Release
Proof of vaccination or Negative Test
For Employers and Business Owners
Effective October 1, 2021, proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result will be required in Saskatchewan for public access to a range of businesses, event venues, and all Government of Saskatchewan ministry, crown, and agency employees. However, private employers voluntarily opt-in should they wish to implement a proof of vaccination or negative test policy for employees.
For more information on The Employers’ COVID-19 Emergency Regulations, click here.
Rights and Protections for Business Owners
The Government of Saskatchewan recently released information for employers regarding the legalities surrounding mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for employees working in public and private organizations. Section 9-10 of The Saskatchewan Employment Act put forward provides legal defence for employers and business owners acting in good faith following The Employers’ Covid-19 Emergency regulation.
To view Section 9-10 of The Saskatchewan Employment Act, Click here
In addition, The Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission has created an educational resource for COVID-19 Vaccines, Vaccination Mandates, and Human Rights.
For more information, click here.
For Customers and Patrons
Effective October 1, 2021, proof of vaccination or negative test is required to access a list of public establishments, businesses, and event venues.
The requirement applies to businesses such as:
- Restaurants, including restaurants in hotels or other lodgings that are not fast-food restaurants
- Nightclubs, bars, taverns, party buses and other establishments that serve alcohol under the authority of The Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act, 1997.
Event and entertainment venues including:
- Theatres
- Cinemas
- Bingo halls, casinos, and other gaming establishments
- Concerts
- Live-music venues
- fitness centres and gyms
- standalone liquor and cannabis retail sales locations; and
- facilities hosting sporting events where tickets are required that have GST charged on the ticket.
Proof of Negative Test
Individuals who cannot provide proof of vaccination have the option of providing proof of a negative COVID-19 test result from within the previous 72 hours. A self-administered take-home rapid antigen test will not be accepted as valid proof of negative COVID-19 results. Individuals requiring a negative test result have several private options on the market that will provide a rapid antigen test or a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for a fee.
For a list of locations and labs offering testing services, click here.
List of Acceptable Proof of Vaccination
The only acceptable forms of proof of vaccination are:
- Wallet cards received at time of immunization
- A printed copy of your MySaskHealthRecord (MSHR) vaccine certificate (with or without a QR code)
- A screenshot of your MSHR vaccine certificate (with or without a QR code) saved to your device
- An earlier version of your MSHR COVID-19 vaccine certificate
- A COVID-19 vaccine printout from Saskatchewan Health Authority Public Health
- A QR code or MySaskHealthRecord vaccine certificate uploaded to SK Vax Wallet