Covid-19 Blog

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Ontario Reverts to Modified Stage 2 Restrictions for Ottawa, Toronto and Peel Region

October 9, 2020

On October 9, 2020, the Ontario government announced additional targeted public health measures in the Ottawa, Toronto and Peel public health unit regions. These modified Stage 2 restrictions will be implemented for a minimum of 28 days and reviewed on... This entry was posted in Government Support Measures.

Canada Recovery Benefits Legislation Receives Royal Assent

October 5, 2020

Focus readers will recall that, in late August, the Federal Government announced its intention to introduce legislation that would support the creation and implementation of three new recovery benefits to become available as of September 27, 2020: Canada Recovery Benefit... This entry was posted in Government Support Measures.

New Mandatory Screening for Employees and Essential Visitors in Ontario Workplaces

October 1, 2020

As part of increased measures to help stop the surge of COVID-19 cases, the Government of Ontario amended O. Reg 364/20: Rules for Areas in Stage 3 (the “Regulation”) effective September 26, 2020. The amendment requires any person responsible for... This entry was posted in Government Support Measures, Return to Work & School.

Return to Work & School

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New Mandatory Screening for Employees and Essential Visitors in Ontario Workplaces

October 1, 2020

FAQ: Return to School and Requests for Accommodation on the Grounds of Family Status in the Workplace

August 28, 2020

Employers can expect that many parents whose children will be engaged in remote learning this coming school year, either on a part-time or full-time basis, will request accommodation in the coming months. Below, we address some of the most frequently... This entry was posted in Return to Work & School.

Temporary Lay-offs

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Ontario Government Extends COVID-19 Period re Temporary Layoffs to January 2, 2021

September 4, 2020

As Focus readers may recall, as detailed in our earlier Focus Alert, the Ontario government filed Regulation 228/20 under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”) which provided that non-union employees who did not perform their duties because their hours of... This entry was posted in Temporary Lay-offs.

Ontario makes important changes to ESA rules related to temporary layoffs and constructive dismissals

June 2, 2020

On May 29, 2020, the Ontario government filed Regulation 228/20 – Infectious Disease Emergency Leave (“Regulation”) under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”). This new Regulation provides employers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with temporary relief from the ESA’s rules... This entry was posted in Government Support Measures, Temporary Lay-offs.

Pandemic Planning

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Coming into Force of the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020: What This Means for Employers

July 28, 2020

In Ontario, a declaration of emergency made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (“EMCPA”), as well as any emergency orders adopted under the EMCPA, are periodically reviewed and renewed, as required. Most recently, the provincial declaration of emergency... This entry was posted in Government Support Measures, Pandemic Planning.

Ontario Announces Additional Workplaces that Can Reopen

May 15, 2020

On March 17, 2020, the Ontario government declared a provincial state of emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA), which provides the Lieutenant Governor with the power to make temporary emergency orders believed to be necessary to... This entry was posted in Pandemic Planning, Return to Work & School.

EI Benefits

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COVID-19 Emergency Response Act Receives Royal Assent

March 26, 2020

On March 25, 2020, the COVID-19 Emergency Response Act (Bill C-13) received Royal Assent. The legislation outlines broad amendments and measures to address wide-ranging economic and other issues arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have included below... This entry was posted in EI Benefits, Focus Alerts, Government Support Measures, New, Sick Leave and Leaves of Absence.

Sick Leave and Leaves of Absence

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Government Extends COVID-19 Leave Available Under the Canada Labour Code by up to 8 Weeks

July 24, 2020

In a previous Focus Alert, we discussed the creation and implementation of the temporary new “Leave Related to COVID-19” (or “COVID-19 Leave”) for federally regulated employees subject to the application of the Canada Labour Code. Initially, COVID-19 Leave was subject... This entry was posted in Government Support Measures, Sick Leave and Leaves of Absence.

Arbitrator finds full-time employees are only entitled to paid sick leave if they are symptomatic or tested positive for COVID-19

May 29, 2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our workplaces, many unionized employers may have been questioning whether employees who are quarantined (self-isolating) but who are not themselves ill or exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 or do not test positive (or do... This entry was posted in Sick Leave and Leaves of Absence.

Working from Home

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Remote Work Considerations: An Employer’s Guide

March 25, 2020

As the world manages its way through the current COVID-19 global pandemic, employers are required to act quickly to implement remote work arrangements. The urgency in implementing such arrangements has only become greater since the government of Ontario announced the... This entry was posted in Focus Alerts, Health and Safety Issues, New, Privacy Considerations, Working from Home.

Health and Safety Issues

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Arbitrator Upholds Hospital’s Objection to Qualification of Occupational Hygiene Expert in Field of COVID-19 Infectious Disease Transmission

August 20, 2020

Since the beginning of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Ontario health care sector unions have raised occupational health and safety-related concerns particularly with regard to the provision of personal protective equipment (“PPE”), including N95 respirators (“N95”). We previously broached this topic... This entry was posted in Health and Safety Issues.

Participating Nursing Homes and ONA – Expedited COVID-19 Policy Grievance: Right to PPE Not Completely Unfettered

May 8, 2020

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently issued a mandatory injunction ordering four separate long-term care homes in and around the GTA to comply with Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health’s (“CMOH”) Directives #3 and #5 under section 77.7 of... This entry was posted in Health and Safety Issues.

Privacy Considerations

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Privacy Considerations for School Boards in the Era of Online Learning

April 21, 2020

While many school boards in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada begin distance learning in attempt to salvage the school year, many school boards wonder how to respect their duties in relation to the privacy of their students, their employees and... This entry was posted in Education Law Alerts, Privacy Considerations and tagged Privacy Considerations.

Bill 188 Brings Significant Changes to Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act

April 6, 2020

Bill 188, the Ontario Economic and Fiscal Update Act, 2020, received Royal Assent on March 25, 2020. The Bill provided significant changes to several statutes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA).... This entry was posted in Privacy Considerations and tagged Government Support Measures.

Government Support Measures

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Ontario Reverts to Modified Stage 2 Restrictions for Ottawa, Toronto and Peel Region

October 9, 2020

Canada Recovery Benefits Legislation Receives Royal Assent

October 5, 2020

Latest Articles

Return to Work & School

Temporary Lay-offs

Pandemic Planning

EI Benefits

Sick Leave and Leaves of Absence

Working from Home

Health and Safety Issues

Privacy Considerations

Government Support Measures