COVID-19 – Infectious Disease Emergency Leave Extended Again To July 3, 2021

The Ontario government has amended Reg. 228/20: Infectious Disease Emergency Leave ("the Regulation"), to extend the "COVID-19 period", to July 3, 2021. The COVID-19 period was previously set to expire on January 3, 2021.  

We previously provided an update about the Regulation on September 17, 2020. Please see our article here. The Regulation affects non-union employees whose employer takes steps to temporarily lay-off employees or reduce employees' hours or wages due to COVID-19. Among other things, the Regulation:  

• Extends the timeline by which the temporary lay-off of an employee constitutes a termination under the Employment Standards Act, 2000; and  

• Largely suspends the law of constructive dismissal. A temporary reduction or elimination of an employee's hours, or a temporary reduction in an employee's wages, will not constitute constructive dismissal of the employee.