Toronto And Peel To Shut Down Workplaces With 5 Or More COVID-19 Cases
Toronto and Peel have been heavily impacted by the pandemic, and workplace spread of the virus is impacting families, as essential workers are getting sick at work and are infecting their households. As a result, these regions are issuing orders to force businesses with five or more cases of COVID-19 in the past two weeks to close.
This order is to take effect on Friday, April 23rd. Employers must be doing everything possible to prevent COVID-19 from getting into their workplace and spreading to their employees, otherwise they risk a lengthy shutdown and put all of their employees’ well-being in danger.
What Employers Should Be Doing For COVID-19 Prevention in The Workplace:
- Keep all of your COVID-19 policies up-to-date and ensure that all employees are following them at all times. Lunchrooms and smoking areas have been found to be areas of transmission, so employees must be vigilant even during their breaks.
- Check your ventilation systems and air quality to maximize air flow whenever possible.
- Provide PPE for employees who must come into the workplace, and maintain frequent sanitizing schedules so workspaces remain clean and disinfected
If any employees are showing symptoms of COVID-19, send them home immediately. - Complete daily screenings for all employees everyday and keep records for at least 30 days.
- Unless an employee absolutely needs to physically be at the workplace, they MUST work from home if possible.
- Provide sick leave days, ideally paid days, to encourage employees to stay home when they are sick, so that they do not have to choose between missing a paycheque or paying for rent and food.
Talk to an EIO Manager today about best COVID-19 practices.
Have your revenues dropped due to COVID-19?
Many small businesses are struggling to stay afloat and cover their fixed costs, such as rent and insurance, while taking a negative impact on their revenues. Government assistance has emerged to help businesses pay for their rent, but many have had their fate put into the hands of their landlords to apply for the assistance. The new Canadian Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) is being introduced to provide rent relief for businesses and allows these businesses to apply to the assistance directly as opposed to waiting for their landlords to do so.
What is the CERS and how does it work for small businesses?”
- Rent and mortgage support available until June 2021 for qualifying organizations impacted by COVID-19
- Funds go directly to the business, not the landlord
- Can cover up to 65% percent of eligible expenses until December 19 2020
- Businesses are able to make claims retroactively for the period that began September 27 and ends October 24, 2020
- A top-up CERS of 25% for businesses temporarily shut down by a mandatory public health order issued by a qualifying public health authority—in addition to the 65% subsidy,—grants up to 90% of coverage for the hardest hit businesses!
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