Author name: jonkersdw

A significant list of businesses, including restaurants, hair salons and malls, will be allowed to reopen as of Friday in some parts of Ontario, except the Toronto-area and a few other regions, as the province enters Stage 2 of its restart phase through a regional approach. The majority of Ontario's public health unit regions will […]

Recently the Ontario government updated its COVID-19 SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL. The Tool delivers multiple questions designed to recommend what, if any, actions the self-assessing person should take or consider, including whether to attend work. A link to the Tool is here: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/self-assessment/ The Tool offers another way in which employers and employees can assess whether attending work

Yesterday the Ontario government announced the new Premier’s Council on Equality of Opportunity, a new advisory group that will provide advice on how young people can overcome social and economic barriers and achieve success. The council will also advise government on long-term actions that can be taken to support youth during the COVID-19 outbreak. “At

Today the federal Government announced more support to help Canadians with disabilities deal with extra expenses during the pandemic. This support includes a special one-time, tax-free payment to individuals who are certificate holders of the Disability Tax Credit as of June 1, 2020, as follows: $600 for Canadians with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate. $300 for

Today the federal Government announced that seniors eligible for the Old Age Security (OAS) pension and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) will receive their special one-time, tax-free payment during the week of July 6. Through this measure and others, the government is providing nearly $900 more for single seniors and more than $1,500 for senior couples,

CHANGES TO THE ESA DUE TO COVID-19 On May 29, 2020, the Ontario government enacted Regulation 228/20 – Infectious Disease Emergency Leave (“Regulation”) under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”). It offers Ontario employers impacted by COVID-19 with temporary relief from the ESA’s rules on temporary layoffs, termination, severance and constructive dismissal, by deeming an employee to be on unpaid,

The federal Government has expanded the required use of face coverings on planes, trains, ships and transit to reduce the spread of COVID-19.  Effective Thursday, June 4 at midday, airline flight crew and airport workers will be required to wear non-medical masks, in addition to the existing requirement for passengers.  Railway operators will have to notify passengers

The Ontario government has published a list of employees eligible for its temporary pandemic pay program.  To provide additional support for frontline workers fighting COVID-19, the government is providing temporary pandemic pay of $4/hour worked on top of their regular wages. In addition, the government will be providing monthly lump sum payments of $250 for

Finally……… Yesterday, the Ontario government published a new regulation which, among other things, deems temporary reductions or cessations in hours due to COVID-19, or any temporary layoffs due to COVID-19, which began on or after March 1, 2020 not to trigger constructive dismissal claims or the deemed termination and severance provisions under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”).

Working from home – will it be more permanent or, at least, regular, even after the pandemic? Stay-at-home work may be part of the “new normal” in the City of Kawartha Lakes for many businesses and organizations. If so, there are a few legal issues to consider and plan for, not only to minimize liability