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Who Can Get the CERB?

CERB COVID-19By now the CERB (the Canada Emergency Response Benefit) has entered the common parlance but questions about this benefit still abound. Employers and employees are still puzzling over some aspects of this benefit. We address some of the confusion in this post.  

Can I Get the CERB if I Quit?

We have come across several examples of people who would stand to make more money by not working and collecting the CERB than working and getting paid.

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Working Safely From Home

working from homeWhat are the employer’s obligations to an employee when an employee is not working in the office? With so many employees now working from home, employers’ health and safety obligations need to be reexamined. 

The Occupational Health and Safety Act and Working From Home

In Ontario, section 3(1) the Occupational Health and Safety Act (“OHSA”) states that it “does not apply to work performed by the owner or occupant or a servant of the owner or occupant to, in or about a private residence or the lands and appurtenances used in connection therewith.”

So, in regular people speak, this means that if your employee is working in their own home OHSA does not apply. 

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Answers to frequently asked questions from employers regarding COVID-19 – April 1 update

Answers to frequently asked questions from employers regarding COVID-19 - the impact, rules and best practices for addressing the global coronavirus outbreak in the workplace. (Last Updated April 1, 2020). Further free resources can be found here. Should you need legal advice on how to manage your workplace during the COVID-19 outbreak, please get in touch.

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We’re 3 Today! How We Built Our Virtual Law Firm

I launched SpringLaw 3 years ago. It was on April Fool’s Day 2017 and a friend of mine questioned whether I should delay it by a day so that people would not mistake my launch of a virtual law firm as a joke. My assistant Sandi and I proceeded to launch anyways, figuring we’d be in the clear by noon that day. 

Fast forward to three years later: we are in a very different world. Even before the current virus pandemic, the ease and comfort of communicating and working through tech have moved forward at such a fast clip. 

Over the last few weeks (yes, the virus has only been here for a few weeks!), the world has been forced to face remote working and to engage in the online economy. For those of us already there, it’s been no big deal, but it’s not a system you can just whip up overnight. 

Here are my thoughts on the key ingredients to a successful online law firm.

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Answers to frequently asked questions from employers regarding COVID-19 – March 30 update

Answers to frequently asked questions from employers regarding COVID-19 - the impact, rules and best practices for addressing the global coronavirus outbreak in the workplace. (Last Updated March 30, 2020). Further free resources can be found here. Should you need legal advice on how to manage your workplace during the COVID-19 outbreak, please get in touch.

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New Programs for Employees and Employers During the COVID-19 Crisis: the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy

COVID-19

The measures introduced to protect us all from COVID-19 have had a huge economic impact on individuals and businesses. The federal government has been rolling out – and changing – various relief measures over the past few weeks. 

Today we will outline two new measures which will likely be helpful to many of the businesses and individuals impacted: the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and the Small Business 75% Wage Subsidy. 

An Alternative to EI: The Canada Emergency Response Benefit

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) was announced on March 25, 2020. It is an alternative form of loss of income benefit. 

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