COVID-19

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

As we gradually re-open the CKL, some sectors, including retail stores and professional offices, have no health and safety guidelines available yet from the Ontario government.  While the guidelines for the five, key sectors announced to date overlap substantially and, effectively, apply to any public business space, it is important for all business spaces to

The federal government announced today that application documents and updated criteria for Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses are now available, and that the program will be opened for applications beginning on May 25. This program will provide forgivable loans to eligible commercial property owners, who in turn will give a rent reduction

A primary symptom of the virus is an elevated body temperature of above 38C (100.4F). Accurate body temperature measurements seek to measure a person’s core body temperature. The normal core body temperature range in an adult is 36.5 – 37 C, but not everyone’s “normal” is the same. As well, different methods of temperature testing,

Did you know about the NATIONAL INITIATIVE FOR THE CARE OF THE ELDERLY (NICE)? NICE is an international network of researchers, practitioners and students dedicated to improving the care of older adults, both in Canada and abroad. Its members represent a broad spectrum of disciplines and professions, including geriatric medicine, gerontological nursing, gerontological social work,

Today federal public health officials are now officially recommending that people wear non-medical masks in situations where physical distancing isn’t possible. After initially advising against wearing non-medical masks, federal health officials said in April that people who don’t have symptoms of COVID-19 could wear non-medical masks when in public as “an additional measure” to protect others —

Today the federal government announced an expansion to the eligibility criteria for the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA), to now include many owner-operated small businesses. The changes to the CEBA are intended to allow more Canadian small businesses to access interest free loans that will help cover operating costs during a period when revenues have been

The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (the “CEWS”) has been both extended and expanded: extended for another 3 months to August 29, 2020; and expanded to include eligibility for the following groups: partnerships that are up to 50% owned by non-eligible members; Indigenous government-owned corporations that are carrying on a business, as well as partnerships where the partners