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May 2021

Reimbursement for 3-day sick leave

The online application, allowing business owners to be reimbursed for providing paid infectious disease emergency leave, the so-called 3-day sick leave, is now available. As an employer, you may be eligible to be reimbursed for payment up to a maximum of $200 per day for up to three (3) days per employee, made to an employee for paid infectious disease emergency. Click here to visit the website and review the application process.

Province Announces 3 Step Plan

The Ontario government announced a three-step plan to safely and cautiously reopen the province and gradually lift public health measures based on the provincewide vaccination rate and improvements in key public health and health care indicators. The province will remain in each step for at least 21 days to evaluate any impact. Roadmap to Reopen outlines three steps to easing public health measures, guided by the following principles:

  • Step One An initial focus on resuming outdoor activities with smaller crowds where the risk of transmission is lower, and permitting retail with restrictions. This includes allowing outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people, outdoor dining with up to four people per table and non-essential retail at 15 per cent capacity.
  • Step Two Further expanding outdoor activities and resuming limited indoor services with small numbers of people where face coverings are worn. This includes outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people, outdoor sports and leagues, personal care services where face coverings can be worn and with capacity limits, as well as indoor religious services, rites or ceremony gatherings at 15 per cent capacity.
  • Step Three Expanding access to indoor settings, with restrictions, including where there are larger numbers of people and where face coverings can’t always be worn. This includes indoor sports and recreational fitness; indoor dining, museums, art galleries and libraries, and casinos and bingo halls, with capacity limits.

Ontario Extends Stay-At-Home Order

With the new, more contagious variants continuing to pose significant risks, the Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, has extended the Stay-at-Home Order (O. Reg. 265/21) until at least June 2, 2021. All public health and workplace safety measures under the provincewide emergency brake will also remain in effect. Despite improvements, key indicators remain high and more time is required before the province can safely lift the Stay-at-Home Order.

Skilled Trades Ontario to Replace OCOT

On May 06, 2021, the Ontario Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, Monte McNaughton, , introduced new legislation to help tradespeople get their certification from one reliable, streamlined destination through a new Crown agency, Skilled Trades Ontario (STO), that would replace the Ontario College of Trades (OCOT). The legislation is entitled ‘Building Opportunities in Skilled Trades Act (BOSTA) which will introduce a new agency called Skilled Trades Ontario.

Under the proposed legislation, Skilled Trades Ontario would become the province’s industry-informed training authority to lead the promotion, research and development of the latest apprenticeship training and curriculum standards. It will also provide a seamless experience for client-facing services including registration, issuance of certificates and renewals, and conduct equivalency assessments in one place. Click here to read more