Ontario Has Announced Important New Measures to Assist Long-Term Care Homes
On April 22, 2020, the Ontario government announced important new measures aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19 in long-term care (“LTC”) homes in the province, which are very significant for employers operating LTC homes.
Ontario’s Ministry of Labour Has Not Upheld Any COVID-19 Related Work Refusals to Date
Today the Toronto Star reported that the Ontario Ministry of Labour (“MOL”) has not upheld any work refusals by workers based on concerns relating to COVID-19 to date. Below we have set out an overview of workers’ right to refuse unsafe work in Ontario and discuss the significance of today’s news and what it means […]
Ontario has Announced Framework for Reopening its Economy
On April 27, 2020, Ontario released A Framework for Reopening our Province (the “Framework”), a three-stage plan for reopening Ontario’s economy once the COVID-19 pandemic begins to subside, including the reopening of businesses, services, and public spaces.
This is the fifth bulletin in a weekly series that provides a recap of important COVID-19 developments and their impact on employers as they navigate these challenging times. This recap covers the week of April 20, 2020 and is current as of April 27, 2020.
The Canada Emergency Response Benefit and Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy: How these Relief Measures Interact with Other Benefits
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of non-essential workplaces in provinces across the country, the Canadian government has introduced a number of emergency relief measures aimed at providing support to employees and employers affected by the pandemic.
The Ontario Government Is Working on a Plan to Reopen the Province
After releasing new projections on April 20, 2020 that suggest the rate of infections across Ontario is in line with the anticipated best-case scenario, the Ontario government announced on April 21 that it is working on “a framework for a gradual, measured and safe reopening of our province based on the data we are seeing”.
New Details on the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and Further Support for Charities and Non-profits
On April 21, 2020, the federal government announced new details on the implementation of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (“CEWS”), as well as new measures to support Canadian charities and non-profits. The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy The government announced that applications for the CEWS will open on April 27, 2020 on the Canada Revenue Agency’s […]
Increased Occupational Health and Safety Enforcement in Essential Workplaces in Ontario
Ontario recently announced that it is increasing health and safety enforcement to ensure that essential workplaces operating during the COVID-19 pandemic are complying with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the province’s emergency orders under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
The Week in Review #4: Key COVID-19 Developments for Ontario Employers
This is the fourth bulletin in a weekly series that provides a recap of important COVID-19 developments and their impact on employers as they navigate these challenging times. This recap covers the week of April 13, 2020 and is current as of April 20, 2020.
The Federal Government Has Announced Additional Funding For the Arts, Culture and Sports Industries, Entrepreneurs, Small Businesses and Rural Organizations
On April 17, 2020, the federal government announced new measures that are intended to aid businesses that may have “fallen through the cracks” and be ineligible for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and the Canada Emergency Business Account. In particular, the government will provide $962 million to Canada’s Regional Development Agencies and the Communities Futures […]