There have been two developments this week in relation to pandemic pay: a temporary amendment to Bill 124, the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019 (Bill 124) and the publication of a page entitled “COVID-19: Temporary pandemic pay” on the government website. However, key details, including how pandemic pay is to be operationalized, have yet to be announced. We therefore continue to advise employers to wait for the government to communicate this information before taking steps to implement any form of pandemic pay.
Business Operation: Ontario
Ontario to Ease Restrictions for Retail and Essential Construction
The Ontario government has announced the easing of restrictions that will allow specific businesses to resume activity. The incremental changes will come into effect over the next week…
Ontario Gives Hospitals More Flexibility in Respect of Credentialing Processes
On May 1, 2020, the Ontario government made a new temporary emergency order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act which gives Hospitals more flexibility in respect of their credentialing processes.
Ontario Temporarily Reduces Financial Penalties for Late PBGF Assessments
On April 30, 2020, the Ontario government filed Ontario Regulation 187/20 amending Regulation 909 made under the Pension Benefits Act. This amendment allows for significantly reduced financial penalties for late payment of a Pension Benefits Guarantee Fund (PBGF) assessment. Normally, an employer who fails to pay a PBGF assessment by the assessment date must pay…
Ontario Proposes Regulations on Reporting Obligations of Health Information Custodians under PHIPA and on Electronic Health Records
On May 2, 2020, Ontario’s Minister of Health issued notice of proposed regulations that (1) provide clarity on the existing reporting obligations of Health Information Custodians under the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA) and (2) empowers Ontario Health to develop and maintain amalgamated Electronic Health Records (EHRs) while refining the rules relating to…
Ontario Permits Certain Clinicians to Access Personal Health Information Through the Provincial Electronic Health Records
On May 1, 2020, the Ontario government made a new temporary emergency order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act which authorizes certain persons access to provincial electronic health records.
Emergency Order Limiting Staff Mobility Within Congregate Care Setting Agencies
On April 24, 2020, the Ontario government made an order (O. Reg. 177/20, Congregate Care Settings) (Order) under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA), similar to those it has made in health and long-term care, that addresses the issue of frontline staff working for more than one employer during the circumstances of the current pandemic. The measures are designed to further reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 between residences operated by specified social service agencies.
Ontario Unveils Framework for Reopening the Province
On April 27, 2020, the Ontario government announced its framework for reopening Ontario (Framework), which sets out the criteria the Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) and health experts will use to advise the government on the timing of and direction for lifting emergency measures, as well as the principles for reopening businesses, services, and…
New Measures to Support the Delivery of Frontline Care in the Long-Term Care Setting
In this FTR Now, we review the latest order (Order) made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) on April 24, 2020 regarding temporary measures focusing on the long-term care sector and the fight against COVID-19 (O. Reg. 174/20). We also discuss the new temporary pandemic payment introduced to support certain frontline workers in Ontario, announced by the Ontario government on April 25, 2020.
Further Measures Announced in Relation to COVID-19
Late last week, the Ontario government amended a number of measures already introduced in light of COVID-19. It updated the “COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool” to include an expanded list of symptoms for which self-isolation is required. It made further orders under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act regarding health care, an expanded list of essential workers eligible for child care and seasonal campgrounds. The federal government provided more information on initiatives already underway, including with respect to the eligibility requirements for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).