While Canada’s large employers are largely still plotting their return to office plans, a majority of small businesses are planning to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory, according to a new poll.

The data from consulting firm KPMG indicated 62 per cent of small and medium-sized Canadian businesses said they are either implementing, or planning to implement a vaccination policy.

Eighty-four per cent of survey respondents said vaccines should be mandatory and are key to avoiding another lockdown. That same amount said they would support a vaccine passport for certain jobs or to enter certain places.

“With so many different approaches across the country, Canadian companies are seeking legal guidance and advice on vaccination policies for their workplaces,” said Norm Keith, employment and labour law partner at KPMG Law LLP, in a release. 

“While some workplaces have taken steps to make proof of vaccination mandatory, others feel that unless mandated by government, it may be too onerous for them to make it a condition of continued employment. Overall, employers need to balance their health and safety legal duties with an employee’s privacy interests and human rights law protections.”

For this poll KPMG surveyed 505 Canadian business owners between Aug. 6 and Aug. 15.

The results were published the same day the City of Toronto announced COVID-19 vaccinations will be mandatory for all city workers by Oct. 30. On Friday, the federal government said it will soon require workers in some sectors to be fully vaccinated.

Last week, via Twitter, Shopify Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tobi Lutke said proof of full vaccination will be required for any in-person meetings. Maple Leaf Foods Inc. CEO Michael McCain also took to Twitter recently to announce COVID vaccinations will be required to come into its offices beginning this fall.

Meanwhile, Twitter Inc. said it plans to make vaccinations mandatory for its 150 Canadian employees once their office fully reopens. 

In the U.S., large tech employers such as Google, Netflix, Uber and Lyft have said once their offices are fully reopened, staff will need to be fully vaccinated in order to work in-office.