Justice Served: WestJet Ordered to Pay Employee Fired Over COVID Vaccine Refusal
A major court ruling in Alberta has delivered long-overdue justice to a WestJet employee fired during the height of COVID-19 mandates.
In a landmark decision, the Alberta Court of Justice ordered Calgary-based WestJet to pay $65,587.72 — the equivalent of 11 months’ salary — to Duong Yee, a Christian accountant who was wrongfully dismissed for refusing the COVID vaccine on religious grounds.
Yee, a loyal WestJet employee for over a decade, had been working 100% remotely when she submitted a formal request for a religious exemption in 2021. She cited her Christian faith and included a letter from her pastor affirming her beliefs. WestJet denied the request without asking for clarification, then placed her on unpaid leave before firing her a month later — all while she continued to perform her job effectively from home.
The court found multiple failings in WestJet’s actions, stating that:
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Yee’s remote status posed no risk to co-workers or the public.
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The federal vaccine mandate only applied to those working on-site (e.g., at airports), not remote workers.
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WestJet never disputed the sincerity of her faith but wrongly concluded that holding both religious and safety concerns was invalid.
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Dismissal was not a proportionate response — the company could have extended remote work or considered other accommodations.
Justice Aldo Argento was clear: “Termination was not the only option available.” The court emphasized that WestJet’s refusal to consider alternatives was both unnecessary and unjustified.
Yee’s legal victory, as reported by Reuters and Rebel News, is being hailed as a “watershed moment” by her lawyer. It affirms that employers must uphold human rights — even during a public health crisis — and that vaccine mandates do not override protections for religious freedom and reasonable accommodation.
This case sends a powerful message: pandemic policies cannot be used to steamroll individual rights, especially when those rights are constitutionally protected.
Despite the ruling, Onex Corp.-owned WestJet said a full vaccination status would be mandatory for all future employees hired by the airline.
You can read the court documents here.
Sources:
Calgary Herald via Reuters
Rebel News
Photo by David Syphers on Unsplash
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