The Ontario governance is taking steps to help ensure that as the economic system gradually and safely reopen workers will have caper to render to and business will be protected from incurring unsustainable termination monetary value . Today , the regime announce that it has reenact a newfangled regulatory amendment that will put non - unionized employees on Infectious Disease Emergency Leave during the COVID-19 outbreak any time their hr of work are temporarily reduced by their employer due to COVID-19 . This will ensure businesses are n’t forced to stop employee after their ESA temporary layoff periods have expired .

terminus set off when irregular layoff exceed the permitted duration under the Employment Standards Act can result in costly payouts which , for many businesses , could be the difference between natural selection and settlement . Under the new regulatory alteration to the Employment Standards Act , non - unionized employees who have had their hour boil down or eliminated because of the pandemic will be deemed to be on Infectious Disease Emergency Leave . Workers will persist utilize with effectual protections and be eligible for federal emergency income support platform .

" As we take the necessary measure to safely and gradually re-start the economy , we call for to check that business owners can reopen their doors and workers have chore to go back to , " said Monte McNaughton , Minister of Labour , Training & Skills Development . " This regulatory change will protect businesses from being drive to for good lay off their employees due to COVID-19 and endure a financial loss that could shutter their operation for good . "

Many businesses had to close up or reduce military operation to comply with emergency orders necessary to stop the spread of COVID-19 . harmonise to Statistics Canada , 379,000 Ontario workers were temporarily lay off in April 2020 , an increase of 2,496 per centime compare with one year earlier .

The regulatory amendment use retroactively to March 1 , 2020 and will expire six weeks after the declared hand brake ends . The regulative amendment do not include employees represented by a trade spousal relationship .

The government is also supporting people and business by providing billions of dollars in deferrals and relief . That includes deferring $ 1.9 billion in Workplace Safety and Insurance Board premium payment until August 31 , 2020 , $ 10 billion in stake and penalization relief , and other deferment to improve cash flow , protect Book of Job and help home budgets . In addition , the province is partner with the federal government to provide commercial-grade snag assuagement for commercial-grade tenant and landlords through the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance ( CECRA ) curriculum .

Source : Ontario.ca .