On April 28, 2020, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that later this week the province will be releasing clear sector-specific labour guidelines for how businesses can operate safely “in this new reality” that the COVID-19 pandemic has created.
These guidelines will be of great interest to employers that are grappling with how they can meet their obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to take every precaution that is reasonable in the circumstances to protect the health and safety of their workers in light of the unique context of the sector in which they operate during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.
Indeed, all Ontario employers should consult these guidelines, once they are released, so that they can ensure that they fulfill their obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Further, such employers should consult the guidelines sooner rather than later so that they can begin planning how to reopen their workplaces safely once they are able to do so, or modify how they are currently operating essential workplaces as appropriate.
We will provide a prompt update on this Resource Centre to keep you In the Know once the guidelines are released.
This blog is provided as an information service and summary of workplace legal issues. This information is not intended as legal advice.