Over 100 Sikh safety guards lose job over clear shave requirement in Canada’s Toronto

Over 100 Sikh males who have been working as safety guards within the Canada’s City of Toronto have been laid off for not complying with town’s ‘clean-shave policy,’ reported city-based The Globe and Mail on Tuesday. The metropolis later stated that it has directed that every one those that have been laid off for that reason be reinstated.

The ‘clean-shave policy’ is termed as part of town’s Covid-19 pointers introduced in January this 12 months which requires workers to be clear shaved in order to make sure that their N95 respirators are correctly fitted.

The World Sikh Organisation of Canada stated that town’s coverage has resulted within the “exclusion of Sikh security guards who maintain uncut hair as a tenet of their faith.” They stated that the rule has been introduced put up the height pandemic interval in 2020-21 and comes at a time when restrictions are being relaxed in the remainder of the nation.

“The clean-shave requirement is also not being enforced for staff and workers at city sites,” added the organisation in a press launch.

The organisation additionally stated that whereas some affected workers members have been given an choice to switch to websites the place these guidelines should not relevant, they usually include decreased salaries and demotions. “In many instances, individuals who had been hired as supervisors or managers have been demoted to security guards,” it stated.

While we acknowledge @cityoftoronto and @JohnTory response to rehire and examine this matter, our asks to @cityoftoronto are easy.

Our work shouldn’t be over till each Sikh safety guard is rehired and rightly paid.

Swipe for extra info. pic.twitter.com/9EoJCLAwBk

— WSO (@WorldSikhOrg) July 5, 2022

According to the organisation, over 100 Sikh guards working for the City of Toronto’s safety contractors GardaWorld, Star Security and ASP Security have been affected and requested the members of town council to discover a speedy decision to the problem.

City’s response

In response, town council stated that it has issued directions to the contractors to rehire these whose companies have been terminated on these grounds.

“The City has directed these contractors to accommodate their employees who have requested religious exemptions and to reinstate any employee whose employment was terminated, immediately,” it stated in a press release.

“The City has contracts with many large security guard organizations and is confident that these employees can be accommodated in other City settings, including shelters that are not in the outbreak, if required. The City is working directly with security guard companies contracted to its shelter system to ensure these accommodations are provided and no contract employee is unable to work as a result of public health masking directives,” it added.