In March 2020, the Ontario government created the “deemed” Infectious Disease Emergency Leave under the ESA. Because of the deemed IDEL, non-unionized employees were deemed to be on a job-protected leave of absence if their hours were reduced or eliminated by the employer for COVID-related reasons. The “deemed” IDEL is now set to expire on July 30, 2022.
All tagged COVID-19
In this PH Report:
What the Easing of COVID-19 Restrictions Means for Employers in Ontario;
Mandatory Vaccination Policies;
Update on Non-Competition Agreements;
Ministry of Labour Orders: A Cautionary Tale for Employers; and
Ministry of Labour – What’s New
In this PH Report:
New Federal Holiday (Sept 30 - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation);
Changes to Federal Bereavement Leave;
Changes to COVID-19 Programs; and
Case Law Update.
In this PH Report:
Subsidized Paid IDEL Days;
Constructive dismissal during the COVID-19 pandemic (the Coutinho v Ocular Health Centre Ltd. case); and
Updates from the Ministry of Labour.
In this PH Report:
A recent class order in Toronto was issued with the purpose of reinforcing the importance of COVID-19 protocols and requirements for workplaces experiencing an active outbreak of COVID-19.
As many workplaces continue to have employees working remotely, it’s important to remember that their home is now their workplace. We have put together a short checklist to remind you of some practical and legal considerations for your Remote Work Policy.
On July 24, 2020, the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020, came into force. This Act ended the COVID-19 declaration of emergency in Ontario (while providing for the extension of particular Orders made pursuant to the Declaration), effective that day. On September 3, 2020, the government extended the deemed Infectious Disease Emergency Leave (deemed “IDEL”) under the ESA Regulation to January 2, 2021. It had previously been set to expire on September 4, 2020.
Perhaps even more startling than the spread of COVID-19 across the globe is the speed with which things change in an effort to “flatten the curve”. These daily, and sometimes hourly, changes put pressure on both employers and employees. Important for Ontario employers, the provincial government has announced its intention to amend the ESA to provide immediate job protection for employees who have received medical or public health advice and are quarantined or isolated due to COVID-19 symptoms or diagnosis, or who have been away from work to care for children because of school or daycare closures, since January 25, 2020.