In a decision affecting more than 400 Bell Canada employees, an arbitrator has ruled that while the telecom giant’s mandatory vaccination policy was “generally reasonable” during the pandemic, placing exclusively remote workers on unpaid leave crossed the line.

The Nov. 24, 2025 award, involving Unifor locals and multiple Bell entities, establishes June 30, 2022 as the date when continuing vaccine mandates became unreasonable as scientific evidence shifted.

The case consolidates over 300 grievances filed by employees who were either placed on unpaid administrative leave for refusing vaccination or claim they were coerced into compliance. No employee was terminated.

Remote work changes the equation

Arbitrator Francine Lamy found that Bell acted unreasonably when it placed employees working exclusively from home on unpaid leave starting Feb. 1, 2022, despite having no requirement to return to the office. Three employees won their grievances on this basis alone.

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