Canada Post: Health and safety—Committees of the Whole—July 8, 2020
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Context
Canada Post continues to provide a vital service to Canadians under difficult circumstances, with employees continuing to operate in the field delivering parcels. Canada Post announced on March 19, 2020 that they are doing everything possible to continue its service while keeping the health and safety of its staff as its number one priority.
Suggested response
- Canada Post is closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic, and is taking steps to help keep its employees and the communities it serves safe, while following the guidance of the Public Health Agency of Canada
- We are working closely with Canada Post, and Canada Post is working closely with its unions, in order to ensure employees and the public are protected
- As the situation with the coronavirus evolves, the health and safety of employees and the Canadians they serve takes the highest priority while Canada Post takes steps to continue delivering the service Canadians rely on
If pressed on health and safety:
- Canada Post is taking action to protect employees and customers, including:
- enhanced cleaning in all of its facilities and extra safety supplies for employees and staggered shifts which minimize everyone arriving at work and having their breaks at the same time. This also allows for enhanced physical distancing in the workplace
- priority service at its retail post offices to those at a higher risk, such as seniors, during the first hour of each day
- installing signage and floor decals to encourage physical distancing, limiting the number of customers in smaller offices, and installing clear barriers at the counter to increase safety
- suspending its normal 15-day hold period and asking that customers who are ill or self-isolating delay their visit and pick up their parcel only when it’s safe to do so
- implemented a new process called “Knock, drop and go” to minimize contact with the delivery agent by eliminating signatures at the door
If pressed on volume and delays:
- Canada Post has been experiencing sustained, high volumes during this pandemic
- the employees of Canada Post are working hard to ensure deliveries continue to reach Canadians during this crisis, and we value their dedication
If pressed on distribution of the Epoch Times:
- the government is aware of concerns expressed regarding the content of the current edition of this publication, and the requests to have Canada Post stop distributing it
- as minister responsible for Canada Post, I have the authority to prevent the distribution of material through Canada Post if it relates to a criminal offence
- we take these concerns very seriously, we will await further assessment and take appropriate action as required
If pressed on obligations:
- Canada Post has a legal obligation under the Canada Post Corporation Act to accept all neighbourhood mail for delivery subject to the regulations on non-mailable matter
- decisions made by Canada Post to deliver or refuse delivery of neighbourhood mail are subject to the Canadian Charter of Right and Freedoms
- after an initial legal assessment of this material, it does not appear to meet the required criteria for prohibiting distribution. However, further assessment is ongoing
Background
On March 19, 2020, Canada Post released a letter stating its number one priority is the health and safety of its employees. They encouraged employees who can work from home to do so. However, the majority of its employees are in the field delivering packages.
Canada Post has eliminated the need for customers to sign for parcels at the door to minimize personal contact. It has also suspended normal delivery guarantees for its parcel services as delivering safely without overburdening its employees requires more time.
Canada Post has been experiencing “Christmas level” volumes during this pandemic. For example, on Monday April 20, they delivered more than 1.8 million parcels to Canadians. That is similar to the biggest delivery days during the Christmas season. Canada Post has introduced several measures to encourage physical distancing and limit contact during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a “Knock, drop and go” approach for parcel delivery. This change eliminates the need for signatures at the door, speeds up delivery and has greatly reduced the number of parcels sent to post offices for pickup. Items that require signatures due to proof of age will be required to be picked up at the retail counter in a more controlled environment, where physical distancing can be accommodated.