A federal judge has ruled concerns about maskless workplaces posing a danger to employees’ health are “frivolous,” according to Blacklock’s Reporter.

“It is unreasonable,” Justice Benoit Duchesne, of the Federal Court, ruled after an Elections Canada manager complained he felt unsafe once the office mask mandate was lifted in 2023 after employees were ordered back to work at its headquarters in Gatineau, Que.

The court found Nicolas Juzda, chief of field programs at Elections Canada, was fully vaccinated and had no particular health issues.

“I must excuse my right to refuse work that constitutes a danger,” wrote Juzda, citing Section 128.1 of the Canada Labour Code, which states federally regulated staff may refuse work “that constitutes a danger to the employee.”

“The matter is frivolous,” wrote one executive.

And Justice Duchesne agreed.

“The applicant’s concern about an unsafe workplace was based on his assessment that a significant number of people would return to the workplace under the return-to-work model, that any of these people may have contracted COVID-19 and that the non-mandatory recommendations and precautions relating to COVID-19 fell short of what he believes would be a safe work environment,” the judgement states, adding the concerns were unwarranted.

Cabinet enforced mask mandates from April 20, 2020 to February 14, 2023.