COVID-19 Updates | Weekend Workplace Round Up for April 6, 2020
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Below are the key announcements from the Federal, Ontario, Alberta and BC governments made on April 4, 5 and 6, 2020 that touch on workplace issues.
Federal Government
Canada Emergency Respond Benefit (CERB) Applications Open Today
As of today, Monday, April 6, 2020 online applications are open for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).
Q&A's about the CERB from the Federal government’s website.
Individuals are asked to use the following guidelines:
|
If you were born in the month of |
Apply for CERB on | Your best day to apply |
|---|---|---|
| January, February or March | Mondays | April 6 |
| April, May, or June | Tuesdays | April 7 |
| July, August, or September | Wednesdays | April 8 |
| October, November, or December | Thursdays | April 9 |
| Any month | Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays |
START THE APPLICATION PROCESS NOW
Parliament Plans to Expand Eligibility for CERB
One of the main criticisms of the CERB is that it only applies to people that suddenly have zero income as a result of COVID-19. At the moment, contractors, shift workers, and employees whose hours have been reduced don’t qualify for the emergency benefit. The Prime Minister says that parliament is looking to expand the benefit to cover more part-time workers.
Learn more about the Prime Ministers announcement.
FAQ Page Posted for Deferral of GST/HST Remittances
The CRA will allow all businesses to defer, until the end of June 2020, any GST/HST payments or remittances that become owing on or after March 27, 2020, and before June 2020. This means that no interest will apply if your payments or remittances are made by the end of June 2020.
The Canada Revenue Agency recently posted answers to several FAQ’s regarding GST/HST remittance relief on their website to help guide businesses through this difficult and confusing time.
News! Canada's top doctor recommends non-medical masks to help stop the spread of COVID-19
Dr. Theresa Tam, at the Public Health Agency of Canada, said today that Canadians can use non-medical masks in tandem with social-distancing measures to limit the transmission of COVID-19 when out shopping for necessary groceries or resources.
Learn more about Tam’s professional recommendation.
News! Updated - CBSA is helping Canadians get home
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is prepared to help Canadians who have been outside of Canada for an extended period and are following the advice of the Government of Canada to return home.
Learn more from this official government news release.
Ontario
Ontario Takes Additional Measures to Protect First Responders During the COVID-19 Outbreak
A new emergency order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, will allow first responders (police, firefighters and paramedics) to obtain COVID-19 positive status information about individuals that they are coming into contact with. The emergency order details the following:
- The information disclosed will be limited to an individual's name, address, date of birth and whether the individual has had a positive COVID-19 test result.
- Once the declaration of emergency is lifted, this data will be made inaccessible to first responders.
- Those who are exempt from the revised emergency order are outlined under the Vital Statistics Act.
Learn more about the new emergency order from Ontario’s official news source.
Ontario Providing Relief for Remote Northern Property Taxpayers During COVID-19
Minister of Finance, Rod Phillips, says, "All communities are feeling the impacts of this global outbreak. That's why we're providing a measure of relief for the owners of over 63,000 residential and business properties outside municipal boundaries."
Through these measures, Ontario is giving taxpayers in unincorporated areas more time to pay each of the four 2020 Provincial Land Tax installments. Taxpayers will have 90 extra days to pay without incurring interest or penalties.
For example, taxpayers who would be required to pay the April 7 property tax installment will have until July 6 to pay without interest or penalties.
Learn more about the tax relief from Ontario’s official news source.
Ontario Launches Web Portal to Assist Agri-Food Sector
Ontario government is launching a web portal, connecting workers with employers looking to fill positions in the agri-food sector. The web portal is intended to facilitate matching people to essential jobs and training resources throughout the provincial food supply chain, including farming, food processing, transport and food retail.
Alberta
Alberta Temporarily Changes Employment Rules during COVID-19 Emergency
Following the direction and recommendations provided by the chief medical officer of health, the following temporary changes to Alberta’s Employment Standards Code will take effect immediately:
Changes for Employers
- Improving scheduling flexibility by removing the 24-hour written notice requirement for shift changes, and the two weeks’ notice for changes to work schedules for those under an averaging agreement.
- Removing the requirement to provide the group termination notice to employees and unions when 50 or more employees are being terminated.
- Streamlining the process for approvals related to modifying employment standards so employers and workers can respond quicker to changing conditions at the workplace due to the public health emergency.
Changes for Employees and Employers
- Increasing the maximum time for a temporary layoff from 60 days to 120 days to ensure temporarily laid off employees stay attached to a job longer. This change is retroactive for any temporary layoffs related to COVID-19 that occurred on or after March 17.
Changes for Employees
- Employees caring for children affected by school and daycare closures or ill or self-isolated family members due to COVID-19 will have access to unpaid job-protected leave. The 90-day employment requirement is waived and leave length is flexible.
Learn more from Alberta's offical news source.
British Columbia
Government Implements Additional Safety Measures for BC Ferries
Additional safety measures are now in place for the Province’s inland ferry system to help protect the safety of passengers and crew.
Effective immediately, passengers boarding inland ferries must comply with the following changes:
- All inland ferry passengers travelling by vehicle must remain in their vehicles for the duration of the trip.
- All passenger amenities aboard the ferry are closed until further notice to limit interaction amongst passengers.
- Walk-on passengers, cyclists and motorcyclists must remain inside designated zones while in the terminal and while aboard the ferry.
- Walk-on passengers, cyclists and motorcyclists with symptoms of COVID-19 are not permitted aboard the inland ferries.
Learn more from BC's official news source.
Sarah Visca is the Operations Manager at ConnectsUs HR, a company that provides tools & resources to quickly set up a Human Resources department.
You can contact her here.
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