Witness Testimony

Laurier Mantil, a letter carrier employed by a federally regulated corporation, testified that in November 2021 her employer implemented a blanket COVID-19 vaccine mandate with no testing alternative. At that time, she was approximately six weeks pregnant and had not publicly disclosed her pregnancy. She stated that she was concerned about the lack of evidence regarding fetal safety and felt compelled to disclose her pregnancy in order to seek an exemption and maintain her employment.
She testified that she applied for a human rights exemption and was allowed to continue working while awaiting a response, although she described months of uncertainty about potential unpaid leave or termination. She stated that several co-workers who did not attest to vaccination were placed on leave without pay for seven months before being allowed to return. She described being the only unvaccinated employee working at her post office and experiencing stress, sleep disruption, and workplace isolation during her pregnancy.
Mantil further testified that vaccine status was widely known in the workplace despite assurances of privacy, and that masking policies were enforced under threat of suspension. She stated that she felt coerced by the employment requirement and did not believe informed consent was possible given the absence of specific fetal safety data at the time. She indicated that she ultimately went on maternity leave and provided her testimony to represent other pregnant women and co-workers who experienced similar circumstances.