Important update on Defence Team COVID-19 work posture

Defence Team,

Despite the high level of vaccination across the Defence Team, we are currently faced with multiple areas of COVID-19 resurgence across the country. Our Defence Team must adapt quickly to public health direction in order to maintain critical capabilities that are essential to our protection of Canadians, our defence of Canada, and the health and safety our members and their families.

Fuelled by the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of concern, which is quickly becoming the dominant variant in Canada and across the globe, the Government of Canada has updated its occupational health guidance for the federal workforce. Recognizing the evolving public health measures relating to the Omicron variant, this new guidance asks departments and agencies to pause any planned increases to building occupancy, review current occupancy levels, and consider increasing remote work, as required. In addition, all members of the federal workforce are encouraged to receive a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine when they are eligible to do so in their jurisdiction. Maintaining a sufficient supply of vaccines and boosters for CAF members will remain a priority in the New Year to ensure that we mitigate any emerging risks in the face of new variants.

As a result and effective immediately, the Defence Team is adopting measures consistent with the CDS/DM Summer 2021 Posture to address the COVID-19 Omicron variant which will:

1. Restrict official international travel (approved at the L1 level);
2. Cancel any in-person, workplace holiday events and activities;
3. Return to a work-from-home posture and expect this to continue to be in place starting in the new calendar year;
4. Result in the re-evaluation of the role of Rapid Antigen Detection Tests (RADT) in the workplace for some essential roles. Further guidance to follow; and
5. Request that CAF members and DND employees minimize their social gatherings and avoid personal travel as advised by the Government of Canada (learn more).

The continued evolution of COVID-19 confirms that we live in an environment that will remain altered by the pandemic for the foreseeable future, and to succeed in this environment we must reject complacency. This means doing everything in our individual and collective power to ensure we are as protected as possible against infection by: strictly adhering to Public Health Measures through masking, physical distancing, and hand-washing; vaccinations, including boosters when available; and taking necessary steps to reduce risk of exposure and transmission.

We understand that the pandemic continues to challenge your resilience both at work and at home, and that these more restrictive measures may represent additional stress to you and your family. We encourage you to seek support available to you. For some of you, the nature of your work has required that you remain onsite throughout the pandemic and we thank you for your continued efforts to maintain our critical capabilities. If you will be operationally required to remain on-site moving forward, you can be confident that every measure continues to be taken to protect your health and safety in the workplace. For those of you who are unsure whether or not you are to return to the workplace, please consult your Chain of Command.

For public service employees, guidance regarding Other Leave With Pay (code 699) has recently been updated to respond to the emerging situation with the Omicron variant. Effective December 20, the temporary changes are being made to the guidance on the use of ‘Other Leave with Pay (699)’ for reasons related to caregiving responsibilities. This temporary change will be reassessed on an ongoing basis as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. These temporary measures will be available publicly by Treasury Board shortly. 

As the holiday season approaches, we recognize that it will be difficult to change plans and the way in which we celebrate. However, we trust all Defence Team members will remain diligent in the face of these challenging circumstances and we thank you for your hard work and collaboration. We hope you take time away from your work to recharge over the holidays, keep safe, and come back refreshed to tackle whatever challenges await us in the New Year.