Did you know that the Ontario Ministry of Labour has a Q&A
on how to deal with natural disasters in the workplace?
The Q&A, which can be found at the link listed below, covers
issues such as whether or not an employee can be forced to take
vacation days in the event of a natural disaster which prohibits
him or her from working, or whether an employee must be paid
if he or she is told to not come to work during the
disaster.
Apart from basic issues covered in the Q&A, there are a
number of other things to be aware of in the event of a
natural disaster. The Emergency Management Statute Law
Amendment Act, 2006 (Ontario) permits the Premier and Cabinet to
introduce legislation intended to govern emergencies such as
natural disasters. In addition, the Employment Standards Act,
2000 (Ontario) provides for unpaid emergency leave for
declared emergencies such as natural disasters, which is different
than the standard emergency leave to deal with an ill or injured
family
