Canadian HR Reporter

4 www.hrreporter.com N E W S public health measures to help keep them safe, says Karina Dearborn, rapid screening program director at Rogers in Toronto. "We are told by our participating volunteers that the screens help them to feel safer when coming to work." But the rapid testing may not be for every employer. "It depends on each organization and their business model and what the level of risk is in terms of transmission or outbreaks of infection," she says. "The biggest challenge for organizations looking to deploy rapid screening may be the cost of paying for the staffing to run the onsite clinics." As for how long Rogers will continue rapid screening, that will be determined by the company's chief medical officer, says Dearborn. "He will take into consideration best practices in terms of minimizing the risk of transmission but also what measures help our employees feel safer and more protected as our offices begin to reopen," she says. "In addition to rapid screening, there are a number of critical elements needed to ensure a safe and successful return to office including offering teams flexibility, continuing to focus on health and safety education and protocols and encouraging vaccination among employees." Will testing end with vaccines? Of course, with vaccines now rolling out across the country, the need for rapid testing may lessen. Many companies plan to continue until the virus level drops in the community, says Stein. "The vaccines do not signal the end of the testing — it will go on until the level of the virus in the community drops to a point where it's not replicating anymore." There will still be challenges because even the best vaccines are only going to be 90 per cent effective and there must be enough people in the community vaccinated. Plus, it's not yet clear if vaccinated people can transmit the virus, she says. "We're hopeful that the likelihood is less because, once you're vaccinated, even if you get it, you should get a much milder case and your viral load should be lower. But we don't know the answer to that yet." As a result, many employers are saying that they're going to need to screen for another year or 18 months, says Stein. With its various screening methods, EllisDon is looking to bridge the gap between now and vaccines, says Chaplin. "As we see the numbers of cases drop off, more people get vaccinated and we're identifying less presumptive positives, then that would be an indicator for us to slow down the screening." We will reach a midway point where some people are vaccinated and others are not, and the people who have been vaccinated are still contagious, says Connelly. "So, all of the existing measures need to be maintained… We still need masks, we still need social distancing, we still need hand washing. Companies can't just say to employees, 'Oh, get a vaccine' and then absolve themselves of responsibility." CHRR RAPID TESTING POPULAR IN CANADA "We want employees to come to work and not be distracted by anything that would take them away from their focus on what needs to be done, in the safest possible way." Mike Webb, Nutrien 3 in 5 Number of employers considering using COVID-19 rapid screening 71% Percentage of dentists, chiropractors and others in social services sector considering testing 69% Percentage of those in hospitality sector considering COVID-19 rapid testing 68% Percentage of those in wholesale sector considering COVID-19 rapid testing 66% Percentage of construction, personal services, arts and recreation sectors considering testing Source: Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB) Mike Webb , Nutrien Steve Chaplin, EllisDon

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