Blog

Source: www.benefitscanada.com

The coronavirus pandemic has been disruptive for all and sadly, devastating and difficult for many.

In the pandemic’s early days, we saw a great deal of change and upheaval very swiftly — both for organizations and our communities. The way in which we live our lives day to day changed very quickly. And for many Canadian employers, the beginning of the pandemic created a flurry of activity, as organizations put business continuity plans into action and pivoted their businesses.

Health Canada alerts consumers to dangerous ethanol fire pots through release of safety testimonial video.

Source: www.cbc.ca

Researchers suggest working fewer hours could boost productivity

It’s only been days since a small Nova Scotia municipality launched a four-day condensed work week pilot project, but according to the chief administrative officer, so far, so good.

The nine-month project, developed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, allows the municipality’s core employees to work the same number of hours over a period of four days, known to many as a compressed work week.

Source: filion.on.ca

Bottom Line

As businesses across Canada prepare to reopen, mental health is an important consideration for employers. When creating reopening plans, employers should maintain open lines of communication with employees to reduce the fear of returning to work, and contemplate whether they have accommodation obligations for employees with mental health disabilities that may have been triggered or exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: whsc.on.ca

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many workplace routines, but never have routine health and safety inspections been more important or required greater diligence.

Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to take every reasonable precaution to safeguard worker health and safety (s25(2)(h)). Joint health and safety committees (JHSCs) and worker health and safety representatives though, also have both a right and responsibility to participate in the pursuit of safer, healthier workplaces. Included in their role is a requirement for JHSCs (s9(23-29)) or worker health and safety reps (s8(6-9)) to inspect the workplace at least one a month.

Source: itworldcanada.com

When Mother Nature blanketed the Greater Toronto Area with layers of snow and ice in late 2018, 20,000 TD employees found themselves working from home. The 165-year-old company managed to sustain its operations with a small portion of its workforce working in sweatpants, all without compromising security. With roughly 25 million customers, many of whom access the bank’s services online daily, the pivot was deemed an impressive feat, according to Greg Keeley, executive vice-president of enterprise technology at TD.

Source: thelawyersdaily.ca

Plans have emerged for some industries and businesses to return to work, while many others await further information and the “green light” from their provincial governments. While both law and medical data are at the forefront of any decision, each individual business will have its own unique factors to consider, including whether they are a large or small business, whether they have the facility and capability to safely return some or all of their staff, and possibly whether returning to the workplace now, or at some later date in the future even makes sense — yes, some businesses are considering permanent work from home (WFH) practices!

Source: cbc.ca

Adam Savaglio is an employment law expert – here’s what he says about your rights under COVID-19

CBC Hamilton spoke, during a Facebook Live event Wednesday June 3, with employment law expert Adam Savaglio about returning to work or working from home amid COVID-19.

Source: canadianlawyermag.com

As Canadian workers begin to return to their workplaces, supervisors and managers of reopening businesses will be personally liable to strict legal requirements and duties which carry charges and fines if violated.

“This is not just an exercise in getting people back to work. It’s an exercise in complying with some very strict legal obligations, particularly in Ontario,” says Adrian Miedema, a partner in the Toronto employment group of Dentons Canada LLP. “The people who are responsible for the particular place of business need to be aware of those obligations.”

woodworkingnetwork.com

As Canadian provinces lift restrictions meant to slow down the spread of the coronavirus, employers are scrambling to prepare their workplaces for the safe return of their employees.

According to the recent “Return to Work Survey” by the Conference Board of Canada (CBC), only 8% of the 279 organizations participating said they are “fully prepared” to reopen their workplaces.