Following up on other recent Orders that were applicable to
hospitals and long-term care facilities, the Government has now
issued an Order that is also applicable to retirement homes. The Order was made under
the Emergency Management and Civil Protection
Act and permits retirement homes, with respect to work
deployment and staffing, to take "any reasonably necessary
measure to respond to, prevent and alleviate the outbreak" of
COVID-19 in a retirement home.
Specifically, a retirement home can:
- Change the assignment of work, which can include assigning
non-bargaining unit employees or contractors to perform bargaining
unit work
- Change scheduling or shift assignments
- Defer or cancel vacations, absences or other leaves
(regardless of whether such vacations, absences or leaves are
established by statute, regulation, agreement or otherwise)
