As the spread of COVID-19 continues in Canada and around the world, the federal government has announced a $1-billion response fund that includes measures intended to help affected workers and employers.
On Wednesday, hours before the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the outbreak a pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the federal government will waive the mandatory one-week Employment Insurance (EI) waiting period for workers who have been directed to self-isolate, so they can be paid for the first week of their claim.
The federal government also says it is exploring additional measures to support other affected Canadians, including income support for those who are not eligible for EI sickness benefits.
The government is also introducing enhancements to the existing work-sharing program to support employers and their workers who are experiencing a downturn in business due to COVID-19.
These changes will double the length of time employers and workers are eligible to use work-share from 38 to 76 weeks, and streamline processes so help can be accessed as soon as possible, helping employers keep workers employed and allow employees eligible for Employment Insurance benefits to receive income support, even as their hours of work may be reduced.
“No one should have to worry about their job if they have to be quarantined. No employer should feel like they have to lay off a worker because of the virus,” Trudeau said.
“No one should have to worry about their job if they have to be quarantined. No employer should feel like they have to lay off a worker because of the virus."
The federal government is urging Canadians to avoid unnecessary travel to affected areas, as well as travel on cruise ships, which have seen several outbreaks.
Canadians are being asked to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, dry cough or difficulty breathing) for 14 days after returning to Canada. Those with even mild symptoms are being told to stay home and call the public-health authority in the province or territory to be given directions.
In response to the global outbreak, many festivals, trips and public events are being cancelled or postponed, visits to long-term care facilities are being restricted and many provinces, including Nova Scotia, are urging employers to be flexible in their absence policies and to not require sick notes from employees.
When asked how the government plans to mitigate possible abuse of these new measures by workers, Trudeau said the top priority is making sure Canadians stay healthy.
“We have confidence in Canadians. We know that what is extremely important right now is that every Canadian does their part to arrest the spread of this virus … to avoid overburdening our health-care systems,” he said. “We need to make sure that everyone is given the tools they need.”
Christine Saulnier, Nova Scotia director with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, says EI measures are not sufficient.
“You have to work at least 600 hours, so the issue is for part-time workers,” Saulnier said.
What would be helpful in addition would be a directive from the federal government that all provinces must have some amount of paid sick days in their labour code, which would benefit all workers, she said.
Saulnier also suggested provinces tell employers that they can’t require sick notes for absences.
“Obviously, this crisis is showing us where the cracks are in the system and one of them is we don't have paid sick leave provisions in our labor standards regulations, provincially or federally,” she said.
For businesses, should the economy experience tightening credit conditions, the federal government says it plans to stimulate the economy by strengthening funding to federal lending agencies such as the Business Development Bank of Canada and Export Development Canada. The government also says flexible arrangements could be made for businesses trying to meet payment obligations to the Canada Revenue Agency.
Funding for supplies, research
The new response plan also includes $500 million to provinces and territories to support the health-care system and mitigation efforts; an additional $100 million on top of $50 million previously provided to support federal public-health measures such as enhanced surveillance, increased testing at the National Microbiology Laboratory and ongoing support for preparedness in First Nations and Inuit communities; and $275 million in additional funding, in addition to previously announced funding, for coronavirus countermeasure research in Canada, including antivirals, vaccine development and support for clinical trials.
The fund includes an allocation of $50 million to the Public Health Agency of Canada to ensure an adequate supply of personal protective equipment such as surgical masks, face shields and isolation gowns, both provincially and federally; $50 million to support the efforts of the World Health Organization and other partners to help address the worldwide outbreak; and $50 million to support the Public Health Agency of Canada’s COVID-19 communications and public education efforts.
“I know that people are worried about what they're seeing on the nightly news and what it means for their community. We get it and we're on it,” Trudeau said. “We're working with our international partners to contain the virus. We're applying the lessons we learned during the SARS outbreak. We're making sure our health-care systems are resilient. We are pulling out all the stops to make sure Canadians stay safe, healthy and supported. Canada is among the best-prepared countries in the world to respond to the situation we're facing. We will get through what comes next together.”
Twitter: @notandrea
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