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On April 29, 2021, the COVID-19 Putting Workers First Act, 2021 (the “Act”) received Royal Assent in Ontario. The Act amends the Employment Standards Act, 2000 to require provincially-regulated employers in Ontario to provide employees with up to three days of paid leave for reasons related to COVID-19, including that the employee is: going for a COVID-19 test […]

On March 9, 2020 we presented an urgent “Morning Recess” webinar summarizing for our school board clients their legal rights and responsibilities in the face of the global spread of the COVID-19 virus.  Please contact us if you would like a copy of that presentation. In this article, we outline some of the key statutory […]

The Nova Scotia Government has announced a COVID-19 paid sick leave program that will launch on May 26, 2021. Under this program, employees who need to take time off work because of COVID-19 may qualify for up to four paid sick days, including those who need to take time off because they are: waiting to […]

Manitoba recently joined a number of other provinces in implementing paid leave programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 7, 2021, Manitoba’s Premier announced that the province is launching a new Manitoba Pandemic Sick Leave program to fill in the gaps between federal paid leave programming and provincial employment standards for paid sick […]

The Employment Standards Regulation, BC Reg 396/95, has been amended to create an unpaid leave for employees who require leave to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or to assist a dependant who is being vaccinated against COVID-19. The length of the leave is not specified.  The legislation simply states, “An employee is entitled to leave under […]

In a trio of decisions, all released on February 6, 2021, the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (“ICRC” or the “Committee”) of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (“CPSO”) ordered a physician to attend to be cautioned in person in relation to COVID-19 related content on her Twitter account. At the time of […]

Recently, a number of initiatives have been unveiled that will provide free rapid antigen testing to small and medium-sized businesses. Federal On May 7, 2021, the Federal Government announced that certain businesses and organizations can apply for free rapid tests for workplace screening projects. Rapid tests will be available to employers through: Shoppers Drug Mart locations […]

UPDATE:  This amendment to the Guide was removed following publication of this article.   When dealing with employees who fail or refuse to take the COVID-19 vaccine, employers in Ontario may wish to consider, among other things, whether such employee(s) should be placed on an infectious disease emergency leave. The Employment Standards Act, 2000 provides […]

Our prior Financial Services Updates have focused on proactive and defensive measures that both lenders and borrowers can take in light of the economic hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This week we focus on a practical consideration that borrowers are encountering in connection with financing transactions: the inability to deliver original share certificates […]

Alberta to lift COVID-19 restrictions The Government of Alberta recently announced a staged plan to loosen public health restrictions that were implemented in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. Stage One took effect February 8th and removed the restrictions exemption program as well as lifted restrictions on food and beverage at entertainment venues, […]