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Employer Webinar Series: COVID-19 and Your Workplace – When Workers Refuse to Work
May 21, 2020 @ 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

This afternoon on May 19th, the Ontario Government announced that Ontario public school will not resume before the end of June. The Ontario Government also announced that daycare centres and day camps will likely be gradually opened during the second phase. The start date of the second phase has yet to be determined and the restrictions that will be in place during the second phase are still unknown. As a result, many workers are still required to stay home to care for their children for the coming weeks ahead.
Although your business may be ready to re-open or ramp up, some of your employees may be refusing to return to work due to childcare obligations and/or health concerns. Are employees allowed to demand that they work remotely? Can you force an employee to return to work? If an employee does not return to work, can they be dismissed?
For our next complimentary weekly webinar on Thursday May 21, 2020, we will address dealing with refusals to work and refusals to return to work during COVID-19. For example, we will discuss:
• best practices for handling health and safety related work refusals;
• best practices for responding to employee requests to accommodate childcare obligations; and
• best practices for handling effective job abandonment.
As the options, obligations, and impact of COVID-19 on the workplace continue to change, we are ready to strategically support you and your business. For more information or for assistance with HR and employment law issues, please contact our firm.