The so-called “clean shaving” policy has been changed for workers at Toronto shelters and congregation centers after some Sikh security guards reportedly lost their jobs for refusing to shave. beard.
An official from the World Sikh Organization (WSO) of Canada confirmed the change to CP24 on Tuesday afternoon.
It comes after about 100 Sikh security guards employed by third parties have been fired, transferred or canceled shifts due to non-compliance with a city policy that required some employees to shave clean in order to adapt properly to N95 respirators.
“We got a call from Mayor Tory and he confirmed to us that the security guards could get back to work and the City Council would work with the security contractors to make that possible. He also confirmed that the N95 would only be necessary when there was an outbreak, “Balpreet Singh, a WSO spokesman and legal adviser, told CP24.
Balpreet Singh, of the Sikh World Organization of Canada, is calling on the city of Toronto to reinstate the bearded security guards who were removed from their jobs due to a “clean shave” masking policy.
READ MORE: Toronto must review N95 masks policy of “clean shave” after Sikh workers fired, degraded
“There’s only one place like that and there you could use latex or cloth to cover your beard. That’s really what we had initially suggested.”
The city policy previously applied to workers in homeless service settings who came into contact with customers suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19, as well as in settings where there was a suspected or reported outbreak of COVID-19. virus.
Singh had written a letter to Mayor John Tory and city council members drawing his attention to the potential discriminatory impacts of the policy on June 7th.
However, weeks passed without any action being taken.
After several media reports on Monday, the city formally ordered its contractors to comply with its human rights and anti-harassment / discrimination policy and provide equitable accommodation to its employees with religious exemptions.
Mayor John Tory also told reporters Tuesday before he would like the contractors involved (ASP Security Services, Garda World and Star Security) to apologize.
“(These workers) deserve better than that. … There is always accommodation, ”he said.
Among those affected by the interpretation of the policy was Birkawal Singh Anand, who last spring was hired to work as a security guard at a local respite center. Birkawal Singh Anand, a hired security guard who works at a Toronto rest center, said he was recently told to shave after a mandatory N95 mask could not be adjusted properly due to his beard. Anand is Sikh and according to his faith, no hair or beard should be cut or shaved.
During a July 4 interview with CTV Toronto, he said he recently received an email from his employer, ASP Security Services, telling him to shave his beard or lose his job.
“Everyone’s freedom of expression and human rights have been protected. For me, if I can’t follow my religion, it’s a disgusting thing, right, ”said Anand, who equated shaving his facial hair with“ ripping off his skin ”.
To make matters worse, Anand said the accommodation offered to him by his employer, ASP Security Services, meant both a downgrade and a pay cut.
He described the situation as “disturbing and humiliating”.
ASP told CTV Toronto that they tried to find accommodation for the affected workers.
Two other security companies that also have contracts with the city, Garda World and Star Security, have not commented on the matter.
Speaking to CTV Toronto this afternoon, Anand said Tory called him and apologized for what happened. He said the mayor also promised that “everything will return to normal.”
“This means he will re-install all Sikh guards in their same positions and at the same salary rate,” he said.