Monthly Archives: July 2021

Ontario offering free health and safety training for small business

July 16, 2021

Ontario offering free health and safety training for small businesses.

The Ontario government has introduced a free eLearning training course for health and safety representatives of small businesses on how to keep workers safe in the retail, construction, health care, accommodation and food services, and other sectors.

Businesses will be reimbursed for the time the representatives are away from work.

The government advises that the free training, the Small Business Health and Safety Training Program, takes about six to eight hours for most people to complete, and covers a range of topics, including:

  • occupational health and safety laws
  • rights, duties and responsibilities of workplace parties
  • duties and responsibilities of the health and safety representative under the Occupational Health and Safety Act
  • recognition, assessment, control and evaluation of common workplace hazards
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I suggest that this is valuable knowledge for an employee representative to have, especially in light of the public health and safety issues of the past year and a half.

To register, eligible small businesses must access the course through the Workplace Safety and Prevention Services’ website.

Once training is complete, small business applicants should retain a copy of the certificate of completion as proof for their refund of the $25 registration fee and the $150 toward the cost of worker training time.

I have included the News Release with full details below.

NEWS RELEASE

Ontario Keeping Workers Safe As Province Reopens

Free health and safety training now available for small businesses

July 15, 2021

Labour, Training and Skills Development

WATERLOO — The Ontario government is investing $10.5 million to provide up to 60,000 small businesses across the province with free health and safety training over the next three years. The new Small Business Health and Safety Training Program will improve health and safety awareness to help prevent illnesses and injures by training health and safety representatives of small businesses on how to keep workers safe in the retail, construction, health care, accommodation and food services, and other sectors. Businesses will also be reimbursed for the time the representatives are away from work.

“As Ontario reopens, keeping workers safe will continue to be our top priority,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. “Small businesses haveless resources to learn about health and safety than other businesses and we know they are facing a lot of financial pressures as a result of this pandemic. Our government is making sure they have the guidance and support they need.”

Beginning today, Ontario’s new Small Business Health and Safety Training Program will cover the course registration costs for an employee who is appointed by their colleagues as a health and safety representative for their workplace. The program will also reimburse small businesses $150 towards the representative’s training time. All small businesses that have six to 19 employees are required to have a health and safety representative and they can apply for this program.

“Protecting our economy starts with protecting our small businesses and the people who run them and foster their growth,” said Nina Tangri, Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction. “By investing in health and safety training, we’re making our small businesses safer places for hardworking families to seize the opportunities they need to get ahead.”

The eLearning training course is offered through Workplace Safety and Prevention Services, a Health and Safety Association. The free training takes about six to eight hours for most people to complete, and covers a range of topics, including:

  • occupational health and safety laws
  • rights, duties and responsibilities of workplace parties
  • duties and responsibilities of the health and safety representative under the Occupational Health and Safety Act
  • recognition, assessment, control and evaluation of common workplace hazards

This program builds on Ontario’s commitment to protect and support workers, educate and train people for the labour market and contribute to a prosperous and stable economy and is part of the province’s 2021 Budget,Ontario’s Action Plan: Protecting People’s Health and Our Economy.


Quick Facts

  • To register for the free training, eligible small businesses must access the course through Workplace Safety and Prevention Services’ website. Once training is complete, small business applicants should retain a copy of the certificate of completion as proof for their refund of the $25 registration fee and the $150 toward the cost of worker training time.
  • Small businesses can apply for reimbursement through the Small Business Health and Safety Training Program starting in Fall 2021. More details will be available soon on Workplace Safety and Prevention Services’ website.
  • Selected by workers, a health and safety representative’s duties include inspecting the workplace on a regular basis, identifying possible hazards, making recommendations for improvements and making health and safety resources available to those in the workplace.
  • In Ontario, about 130,000 small businesses require a health and safety representative.
  • Workplaces with 20 or more workers are required to have a joint health and safety committee.

Additional Resources

Update of Government COVID 19 Measures and Orders

July 14, 2021

Update of pandemic measures and government Orders

As restrictions are being eased and COVID-19 begins to have less of an impact on our business and personal lives, I thought it might be helpful to review and remind you of the status of some of the assistance programs and regulations governments created over the past 15 months.

Some of these programs have been extended, and others have deadlines approaching. 

Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS)

  • in June some changes were made to the CEWS and a new Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP) was introduced, beginning June 6, 2021
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Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA

  • applications for the CEBA ended on June 30, 2021, but deadlines are approaching for submission of information for those who did apply

Work-Sharing Program – COVID-19

  • the program has been extended to September 26, 2021 and the duration of the program has been extended to 76 weeks

I have provided details and dates for these programs below, along with links to the relevant government web pages.

Government Orders

A number of clients have also contacted me with questions about the status of some of the Public Health and government Pandemic Response Measures.

In addition to the information about the assistance programs, I am providing a list of government Orders, both those still in place and those that have been revoked, for your reference as they apply to your particular circumstances.


If you have seen a drop in revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be eligible for a subsidy to cover part of your employee wages. This subsidy is designed to enable you to re-hire workers, help prevent further job losses, and ease your business back into normal operations.

June 2021 changes to the CEWS as of claim period 17 (Bill C-30):

  • wage subsidy extended to September 25, 2021
  • new Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP) was introduced, beginning June 6, 2021
    • for claim periods 17 to 20, claim either CEWS or CRHP, whichever provides you the larger amount
  • beginning in claim period 18, you must have had a revenue drop of over 10% to receive the CEWS or CRHP
  • rate of CEWS will gradually decline from claim periods 18 to 20
  • eligible remuneration paid to employees on leave with pay is no longer included in the CEWS calculation as of claim period 20

Certain publicly listed corporations may have to repay some or all of the CEWS received from June 6, 2021, onward, depending on compensation paid to certain executives in 2021 as compared to 2019.

Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA)
The deadline for applications has now passed for those who have already submitted applications:

  • Existing Non-Deferrable Expense Applicants:
    • initial document submission deadline: July 14, 2021
    • document resubmission deadline: September 3, 2021
  • For $20,000 Expansion Applicants Required to Submit Additional Information Related to Their Business Number:
    • deadline to submit additional information related to your business number: August 20, 2021
  • For $20,000 Expansion Applicants Required to Requalify Under the Non-Deferrable Expense Stream:
    • initial document submission deadline: September 16, 2021
    • document resubmission deadline: October 17, 2021

Work-Sharing Program – COVID-19

Work-Sharing is an agreement between employers, employees and the Government of Canada to help employers and employees avoid layoffs when there is a temporary decrease in business activity beyond the control of the employer. The program provides Employment Insurance (EI) benefits to eligible employees who agree to reduce their normal working hours and share the available work while their employer recovers. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, all Work-Sharing agreements fall under the COVID-19 temporary special measures.

Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS)

For employers affected by COVID-19:

  • measures have been extended to September 26, 2021
  • maximum duration of the Work-Sharing program extended from 38 weeks to 76 weeks

List of Orders Currently in Force and Revoked.
Linked Order Description in blue followed by O.Reg. in black

This list can also be downloaded in .pdf format

Orders currently in force under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act

Enforcement of COVID-19 measures  8/21
Extension of Orders  518/21 Amended on July 7  25/21
Compliance orders for retirement home  55/21
Regulated Health Professionals  305/21

Orders currently in force under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act

Enforcement of orders 114/20
Steps of reopening 363/20
Rules for areas in shutdown zone and at step 1 82/20
Rules for areas in stage 2  519/21 Amended on July 7 263/20
Rules for areas in stage 3 364/20
Extension of Orders 458/20
Patios 345/20
Prohibiting unfair pricing on necessary goods 98/20
Electricity price for RPP consumers 80/20
Treatment of temporary COVID-19 related payments to employees 195/20
Access to personal health information by means of the electronic health record 190/20
Certain persons enabled to issue medical certificates of death 192/20
Hospital credentialing processes 193/20
Work deployment for boards of health 116/20
Work deployment for health service provider 74/20
Work deployment for long-term care homes 77/20
Work deployment measures in retirement homes 118/20
Limiting work to a single long-term care home 146/20
Limiting work to a single retirement home 158/20
Work deployment measures for mental health and addictions agencies 163/20

Orders currently in force under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act

Enforcement of orders 114/20
Steps of reopening 363/20
Rules for areas in shutdown zone and at step 1 82/20
Rules for areas in stage 2 519/21 Amended on July 7 263/20
Rules for areas in stage 3 364/20
Extension of Orders 458/20
Patios 345/20
Prohibiting unfair pricing on necessary goods 98/20
Electricity price for RPP consumers 80/20
Treatment of temporary COVID-19 related payments to employees 195/20
Access to personal health information by means of the electronic health record 190/20
Certain persons enabled to issue medical certificates of death 192/20
Hospital credentialing processes 193/20
Work deployment for boards of health 116/20
Work deployment for health service provider 74/20
Work deployment for long-term care homes 77/20
Work deployment measures in retirement homes 118/20
Limiting work to a single long-term care home 146/20
Limiting work to a single retirement home 158/20
Work deployment measures for mental health and addictions agencies 163/20
Deployment of employees of service provider organizations 156/20
Streamlining requirements for long-term care homes 95/20
Management of long-term care homes in outbreak 210/20
Management of retirement homes in outbreak 240/20
Temporary health or residential facilities 141/20
Service agencies providing services and supports to adults with developmental disabilities 121/20
Work deployment measures for service agencies providing violence against women residential services and crisis line services 145/20
Work deployment measures for district social services administration boards 154/20
Work deployment measures for municipalities 157/20
Congregate care settings 177/20
Use of force and firearms in policing services 132/20
Electronic service of documents 76/20

Revoked emergency orders

Work redeployment for local health integration networks and Ontario health 271/21
Transfer of hospital patient 272/21
Agreements between health service providers and retirement homes 317/21
Work Redeployment for Independent Health Facilities 304/21
Persons entering Ontario from Manitoba or Quebec 293/21
Closure of public lands for recreational camping 288/21
Extension of emergency 291/21
Stay-at-Home Order 265/21
Residential evictions 266/21
Declaration of Emergency 264/21
Signatures in wills and powers of attorney 129/20
Special rules regarding temporary pandemic pay 241/20
Stay-at-home order 11/21
Stay-at-Home Order (City of Toronto Health Unit) 89/21
Stay-at-Home Order (North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit) 76/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Peel Regional Health Unit) 73/21
Residential evictions 13/21
Stay-at-Home Order (York Regional Health Unit) 63/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Windsor-Essex County Health Unit) 64/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Health Unit) 65/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Waterloo Health Unit) 66/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Timiskaming Health Unit) 67/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Thunder Bay District Health Unit) 68/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Sudbury and District Health Unit) 69/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit) 70/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Porcupine Health Unit) 71/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Peterborough County – City Health Unit) 72/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Oxford Elgin St. Thomas Health Unit) 74/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Northwestern Health Unit) 75/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Niagara Regional Area Health Unit) 77/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Middlesex-London Health Unit) 78/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit) 79/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Lambton Health Unit) 80/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Huron Perth Health Unit) 81/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Halton Regional Health Unit) 82/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit) 83/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit) 84/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Grey Bruce Health Unit) 85/21
Stay-at-Home Order (The Eastern Ontario Health Unit) 86/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Durham Regional Health Unit) 87/21
Stay-at-Home Order (The District of Algoma Health Unit) 88/21
Stay-at-Home Order (City of Ottawa Health Unit) 90/21
Stay-at-Home Order (City of Hamilton Health Unit) 91/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Chatham-Kent Health Unit) 92/21
Stay-at-Home Order (Brant County Health Unit) 93/21
Declaration of emergency 24/21 Extension of emergency 7/21
Drinking water and sewage 75/20
Organized public events, certain gatherings 52/20
Child care fees 139/20
Closure of establishments 51/20
Global adjustment for market participants and consumers 191/20
Closure of public lands for recreational camping 142/20
Corporations, co-operative corporations and condominium corporations 107/20
Declaration of Emergency 50/20
Access to COVID-19 status information by specified persons 120/20
Pick up and delivery of cannabis 128/20
Agreements between health service providers and retirement homes 140/20
Traffic management 89/20
Closure of outdoor recreational amenities 104/20
Extensions and renewals of order 106/20
Education sector 205/20
Limitation periods 73/20

Ontario to move to Step 3 July 16

July 9, 2021

Ontario to move to Step Three on July 16, five days ahead of schedule.

The government of Ontario announced some very welcome news today.

I know that you will be anxious to know the details, so I am providing a very brief summary here followed by the News Release in full.

Ontario will be moving to Step Three, which is very close to a full reopening of businesses and activities, next Friday, July 16, at 12:01 am.

Step Three focuses on the resumption of additional indoor services with larger numbers of people and restrictions in place. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 100 people with limited exceptions;
  • Indoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 25 people;
  • Indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services permitted with physical distancing;
  • Indoor dining permitted with no limits on the number of patrons per table with physical distancing and other restrictions still in effect;
  • Indoor sports and recreational fitness facilities to open subject to a maximum 50 per cent capacity of the indoor space. Capacity for indoor spectators is 50 per cent of the usual seating capacity or 1,000 people, whichever is less. Capacity for outdoor spectators is 75 per cent of the usual seating capacity or 15,000 people, whichever is less;
  • Indoor meeting and event spaces permitted to operate with physical distancing and other restrictions still in effect and capacity limited to not exceed 50 per cent capacity or 1,000 people, (whichever is less);
  • Essential and non-essential retail with with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres;
  • Personal care services, including services requiring the removal of a face covering, with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres;
  • Museums, galleries, historic sites, aquariums, zoos, landmarks, botanical gardens, science centres, casinos/bingo halls, amusement parks, fairs and rural exhibitions, festivals, with capacity limited to not exceed 50 per cent capacity indoors and 75 per cent capacity outdoors;
  • Concert venues, cinemas, and theatres permitted to operate at:
    • up to 50 per cent capacity indoors or a maximum limit of 1,000 people for seated events (whichever is less)
    • up to 75 per cent capacity outdoors or a maximum limit of 5,000 people for unseated events (whichever is less); and up to 75 per cent capacity outdoors or a maximum of 15,000 people for events with fixed seating (whichever is less).
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  • Real estate open houses with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres; and
  • Indoor food or drink establishments where dance facilities are provided, including nightclubs and restobars, permitted up to 25 per cent capacity or up to a maximum limit of 250 people (whichever is less).

NOTE: Face coverings in indoor public settings and physical distancing requirements remain in place throughout Step Three. Face coverings will also be required in some outdoor public settings as well.

You can click here to view the regulations for the full list of public health and workplace safety measures that need to be followed.

NEWS RELEASE

Ontario Moving to Step Three of Roadmap to Reopen on July 16

Continuing Improvements in Key Indicators Allowing Province to Safely Expand Indoor Settings and Capacity Limits

July 9, 2021

Office of the Premier

TORONTO — With key public health and health care indicators continuing to improve and the provincewide vaccination rate surpassing the targets outlined in the province’s Roadmap to Reopen, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health the Ontario government is moving the province into Step Three of the Roadmap to Reopen at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 16, 2021.

“Thanks to the tireless efforts of our frontline heroes, and the ongoing commitment of Ontarians to get vaccinated, we have surpassed the targets we set in order to enter Step Three of our Roadmap,” said Premier Doug Ford. “While this is welcome news for everyone who wants a return to normal, we will not slow down our efforts to fully vaccinate everyone who wants to be and put this pandemic behind us once and for all.”

In order to enter Step Three of the Roadmap, Ontario needed to have vaccinated 70 to 80 per cent of individuals 18 years of age or older with one dose and 25 per cent with two doses for at least two weeks, ensuring a stronger level of protection against COVID-19. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Ontario’s health care partners, as of July 8, 2021, over 77 per cent of the population in Ontario ages 12 and over have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and over 50 per cent have received their second dose. More than 16.6 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered provincewide.

The province also needed to see continued improvement in other key public health and health care indicators, including hospitalizations, ICU occupancy and the weekly cases incidence rates. After entering Step Two, during the period of June 29 to July 5, 2021, the provincial case rate decreased by 23.3 per cent. As of July 8, the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs is 202, including three patients from Manitoba, as compared to 286 two weeks ago. The province expects these positive trends to continue over the coming days before entering Step Three.

“Ontario has continued to see improvements in key health indicators, allowing the province to move to Step Three of the Roadmap and safely resume more of the activities we’ve missed,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “While this is exciting news, we most still remain vigilant and continue to follow the public health measure we know work and keep us safe. Vaccines remain our ticket out of the pandemic so if you haven’t booked your appointment yet, please do so today.”

Step Three of the Roadmap focuses on the resumption of additional indoor services with larger numbers of people and restrictions in place. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 100 people with limited exceptions;
  • Indoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 25 people;
  • Indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services permitted with physical distancing;
  • Indoor dining permitted with no limits on the number of patrons per table with physical distancing and other restrictions still in effect;
  • Indoor sports and recreational fitness facilities to open subject to a maximum 50 per cent capacity of the indoor space. Capacity for indoor spectators is 50 per cent of the usual seating capacity or 1,000 people, whichever is less. Capacity for outdoor spectators is 75 per cent of the usual seating capacity or 15,000 people, whichever is less;
  • Indoor meeting and event spaces permitted to operate with physical distancing and other restrictions still in effect and capacity limited to not exceed 50 per cent capacity or 1,000 people, (whichever is less);
  • Essential and non-essential retail with with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres;
  • Personal care services, including services requiring the removal of a face covering, with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres;
  • Museums, galleries, historic sites, aquariums, zoos, landmarks, botanical gardens, science centres, casinos/bingo halls, amusement parks, fairs and rural exhibitions, festivals, with capacity limited to not exceed 50 per cent capacity indoors and 75 per cent capacity outdoors;
  • Concert venues, cinemas, and theatres permitted to operate at:
    • up to 50 per cent capacity indoors or a maximum limit of 1,000 people for seated events (whichever is less)
    • up to 75 per cent capacity outdoors or a maximum limit of 5,000 people for unseated events (whichever is less); and up to 75 per cent capacity outdoors or a maximum of 15,000 people for events with fixed seating (whichever is less).
  • Real estate open houses with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres; and
  • Indoor food or drink establishments where dance facilities are provided, including nightclubs and restobars, permitted up to 25 per cent capacity or up to a maximum limit of 250 people (whichever is less).

Face coverings in indoor public settings and physical distancing requirements remain in place throughout Step Three. This is in alignment with the advice on personal public health measures issued by the Public Health Agency of Canada, while also accounting for Ontario specific information and requirements. Face coverings will also be required in some outdoor public settings as well.

Please view the regulation for the full list of public health and workplace safety measures that need to be followed.

“Thanks to the continued efforts of Ontarians adhering to public health measures and advice, as well as going out to get vaccinated, we have seen most key health indicators continue to improve,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health. “However, the pandemic is not over and we must all remain vigilant and continue following the measures and advice in place, as the Delta variant continues to pose a threat to public health.”

The province will remain in Step Three of the Roadmap for at least 21 days and until 80 per cent of the eligible population aged 12 and over has received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 75 per cent have received their second, with no public health unit having less than 70 per cent of their population fully vaccinated. Other key public health and health care indicators must also continue to remain stable. Upon meeting these thresholds, the vast majority of public health and workplace safety measures, including capacity limits for indoor and outdoor settings and limits for social gatherings, will be lifted. Only a small number of measures will remain in place, including the requirement for passive screening, such as posting a sign, and businesses requiring a safety plan.

Ontario’s epidemiological situation is distinct from other jurisdictions and the Delta variant is the dominant strain in Ontario, which is not the case with some other provinces. As a result, on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, face coverings will also continue to be required for indoor public settings. The Chief Medical Officer of Health will continue to evaluate this need on an ongoing basis.


Quick Facts

QUICK FACTS

  • On June 30, 2021, the province moved into Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen, based on the provincewide vaccination rate and continued improvements in key public health and health system indicators.
  • The Ontario government has released the Roadmap to Reopen, a three-step plan to reopen the province and ease public health measures based on the provincewide vaccination rate and improvements in key public health and health care indicators.
  • With a majority of Ontario adults having received their first dose of the vaccine, providing a strong level of protection from COVID-19, the province is accelerating eligibility to book a second dose appointment, including for children and youth aged 12 to 17.

Additional Resources

  • Visit Ontario’s COVID-19 communications resources web page for resources in multiple languages to help local communication efforts.
  • Visit Ontario’s website to find out if you are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at this time.
  • For up-to-date information on the province’s vaccine rollout and instructions on how to book an appointment, visit Ontario’s vaccine webpage.
  • Visit Ontario’s COVID-19 information website to learn more about how the province continues to protect the people of Ontario from the virus.
  • For public inquiries call ServiceOntario, INFOline at 1-866-532-3161 (Toll-free in Ontario only).