A Careful Restart: Important Information for Employers Re-opening Business Operations

TagsEmployment and HR Law for the COVID-19 Pandemic

By: Nikita Gush, Associate Lawyer at Doak Shirreff Lawyers LLP Employers have a duty to protect the workplace health, safety, privacy, and human rights of their employees. As our province begins to “restart” it is important for employers to consider the responsibilities they have while they re-open and restart their business operations. As you may…

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The Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (“CECRA”) Program – An Explainer

TagsEmployment and HR Law for the COVID-19 Pandemic

Last week the federal government released further details on CECRA and how it would assist commercial tenants and landlords. Commercial rent is under the jurisdiction of the provinces and both the federal and provincial governments will contribute to this relief program; in B.C. the total amount available will be around $300 million with the provincial…

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Covid-19 And Commercial Leasing – What To Do If You Are The Tenant

TagsEmployment and HR Law for the COVID-19 Pandemic

If your business has been affected by Covid-19 you need to consider the following. Read Your Lease You should always read your lease first, or have a lawyer assist you in reading your lease. Commercial leases are similar in that they are always favourable to a landlord and they will contain key provisions to protect…

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Cancellation of Wimbledon Tennis triggers a $141 Million Pandemic Coverage Insurance Claim

TagsArticles, Employment and HR Law for the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Scott Chambers Media outlets throughout the world are reporting on a pricy annual premium that Wimbledon added to its commercial insurance policy every year for the last 17 years. Apparently, Wimbledon paid upwards of $2,000,000 per year for pandemic insurance, something that most would have, prior to March 2020, viewed as an extremely remote…

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ALL the COVID-19 Federal and Provincial Benefits & Resources for Individuals in Canada and British Columbia

TagsArticles, Employment and HR Law for the COVID-19 Pandemic

Federal Resources & Benefit Programs for Individuals: Employment Insurance Benefits if you’re temporarily laid off: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/apply.html Canada Emergency Response Benefit if you’re ineligible for Employment Insurance: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/cerb-application.html Employment Insurance Sickness Benefits if you’re ill: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-sickness/apply.html Increased Canada Child Benefit if you have children: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/canada-child-benefit-overview/canada-child-benefit-apply.html Indigenous Community Support Fund: https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1585189335380/1585189357198 Mortgage Deferral Options for Homeowners: https://cba.ca/mortgage-deferral-to-help-canadians-experiencing-financial-hardship-due-to-covid-19…

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Giving Money to Family and Friends during the Pandemic – What you Need to Know

TagsArticles, Employment and HR Law for the COVID-19 Pandemic

The global pandemic we are currently facing has put tremendous pressure on everyone, and caused serious financial strain for many. During times like these many people are considering how they can financially help their loved ones get through the loss of a job, the temporary closure of a business, or changes to financing with respect…

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Canadian Federal CERB Benefits will expand to include Students

TagsEmployment and HR Law for the COVID-19 Pandemic

Details will soon be announced for further amendments to the new Canada Emergency Response Benefits (CERB) to fill in the gaps of individuals experiencing income loss who were still otherwise ineligible for the program. The CERB benefit was designed to provide income support of $2,000 per month for 4 months to those individuals who suffered…

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What kinds of COVID-19 benefits programs has the government implemented?

TagsEmployment and HR Law for the COVID-19 Pandemic

Both the Federal government and provincial government in British Columbia are implementing new programs in effort to develop an economic response plan to the detrimental effects COVID-19 will ultimately have on our economy. Due to the ever-evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, government programming has been fluctuating and changing on an almost day-to-day basis. Therefore,…

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Parenting amidst a Pandemic

TagsEmployment and HR Law for the COVID-19 Pandemic, Family Law

The current COVID-19 crisis has placed us in a position most of us have never been in before. This statement certainly applies to recently separated parents and this is raising new questions and problems regarding parenting after separation. It is not uncommon for parenting disputes to arise out of disagreements over healthcare decisions. Often parents…

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