BMO OFFERS WORKERS THREE PAID HOURS TO GET COVID VACCINE

Bank of Montreal is offering employees three hours of paid time off to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it's available to them, and will pay for some costs associated with getting the shots. The bank will foot the bill for expenses such as administration fees not covered through public health plans or government agencies, chief executive officer Darryl White said in a message to employees this week. The company has no plans, however, to require that employees get vaccinated, according to the memo. “I strongly encourage you to receive it if you're able,” White said, adding that the bank recognizes “that some of our colleagues belong to groups with unique risk profiles around vaccines and may be unable to receive them.” The Toronto-based bank had 43,360 full-time equivalent employees as of Oct. 31.