Human rights

Is having COVID-19 a disability under human rights legislation?

The definition of disability under human rights legislation across Canada is very broad and includes any degree of physical or...

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My employees are making disparaging remarks against Asians because they blame COVID-19 on China. We are worried about our Asian employees. What can we do?

Members of Asian communities in Canada and around the world have been facing racism and discrimination as a result of...

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Now that schools and daycares are closing, do I have to accommodate employees who need to stay home or make alternative arrangements?

An employee who has caregiving or family responsibilities should be accommodated to the point of undue hardship, which might include...

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Many employees working remotely are trying to balance their employment and their childcare needs. Are employers required to accommodate those employees’ childcare needs?

Even during a public health emergency, employees who can continue to perform work are still expected to meet expectations, goals...

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How does human rights law affect pandemic response and contingency planning?

Employers must ensure that screening procedures, requests to stay away from the workplace and other practices do not run afoul...

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Can an employer put screening and testing measures in place such as taking an employee’s temperature to determine whether they might be infected?

As indicated by the firm of Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark LLP, human rights legislation across Canada, places restrictions on an...

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Note: This page provided by First Reference is for employers needing more information on the impact, rules and best practices for addressing the global novel coronavirus pandemic also known as COVID-19. (Last updated July 20, 2020, at 11:55 p.m.). The first batch of questions discusses the broad issues related to COVID-19 and government responses. The second batch of questions are frequently asked questions by employers needing more information on the impact COVID-19 has on the application of their workplace practices and policies for addressing the global coronavirus pandemic.

The circumstances and potential consequences for employers in connection with COVID-19 continue to evolve each day. We recognize that change resulting from COVID-19 is happening in real-time. We will keep you up-to-date with measures put in place by Canadian governments to help with these issues as they are implemented as soon as we can and details are available, by updating this page. Also, when making hard decisions to protect your employees, customers and your business, we strongly recommend seeking the advice of a lawyer to avoid any liability.