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All workers have the right to a healthy and safe workplace. As such, they have the right to refuse unsafe work – in other words, they may refuse work that they believe has the potential to harm themselves or others at the worksite. In B.C., the work refusal process is set out in the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.
Many Canadians are facing financial uncertainty as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which can lead to issues arising between banks and their customers. Many banks have taken measures to accommodate individuals and businesses in these challenging times by creating special programs, some of which are outlined here.
Despite the havoc wreaked onto the global economy by the coronavirus, Canada still recognizes that immigration supports the labour market and the country’s long-term economic growth.
COVID-19 has shuttered my business – should I lay off staff, or even bother continuing my lease? For answers to questions like these, visit our website.
The presumption is that parties are to be held to their contractual agreements. However, express contractual provisions and common law doctrines may provide relief from contractual performance in specific circumstances.
Whether it is meeting the challenge of working from home, or setting guidelines for employees who continue to attend on-site as permitted by government order, employers should develop policies to mitigate risks and better manage their workforce.
Managing parenting time schedules during a pandemic is an issue that has come to the fore, and parents are quite rightly asking what they should be doing to maximize safety while each still getting the appropriate amount of time with their children.
Many individuals are encountering difficulties when attempting to access the special programs and policies the Government of Canada has put in place to assist affected individuals.
On March 23 the Ontario and Quebec governments ordered that “non-essential” businesses close down, shortly followed by a list of “essential” businesses that were exempt from the mandatory closure. Quebec took a more cautious approach and ordered that all non-essential construction sites close.
The federal government has existing programs to assist workplaces. Both the federal and provincial governments have also added a few additional programs and made amendments to current programs to streamline the application process to address the current crisis.
