Labour & Employment

On April 6, I posted this blog summarizing the main features of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (“CERB”). On April 15, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced further changes to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (“CERB”). Note that the proposed changes have not yet been formalized …

Employees that self-isolate because they have COVID-19 must have a doctor’s note saying they have recovered and can return to work: True or False? It depends. Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to take every “reasonable precaution” necessary to protect their work…

With each passing day during the COVID-19 pandemic, there seem to be more programs, lists and rules to be aware of. It can feel overwhelming to keep it all straight, so this blog will focus on the Federal Government’s two wage subsidy programs: the 10% Temporary Wage Subsidy and the 75% Cana…

With the decrease in economic activity in the wake of COVID-19, some businesses are resorting to layoffs to reduce operating expenses. But there is an alternative to layoffs that many businesses are not aware of – and one which may reduce some of the traditional risks of layoffs: the Work-Sh…

Workplaces still conducting business due to being considered “essential” should brace for more scrutiny by the Ministry of Labour. And on essential construction sites, that scrutiny can occur any time of the night or day, as working hours on these sites have been extended to 24 hours per day…

Are workers entitled to WSIB benefits if they contract COVID-19 at work? The answer, in some circumstances, is yes.   The WSIB has stated that workers will be entitled to benefits for COVID-19 “arising out of and in the course of the worker’s employment”; this is simply a reflection of the s…

Perhaps you thought that recent whipsawing between two revisions to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”) in one year was confusing. In my humble opinion, that was nothing compared to the deluge of acronyms and information flooding employers in this COVID-19 world. If it feels like thin…

Please note that since this blog was published, there have been further changes made to the CERB program, summarized here. As such, this blog may no longer be fully updated/accurate. Most employers are aware that the Federal government has introduced wage subsidy programs, described in more …