Job Loss and COVID-19: Q&A for Ontario Workers
We’ve prepared a Q&A for non-unionized Ontario workers who have lost, or might lose, their jobs as a result of COVID-19
As we write this, millions of Canadians are losing their jobs as a result of events surrounding COVID-19. Losing one’s job is a devastating personal event in the best of times. In the middle a global pandemic, it could be a catastrophe. On top of worrying about staying safe from COVID-19, countless workers are now coping with the added stress of income insecurity. Even workers who have not lost their jobs have seen their wages cut or their hours reduced, adding to their sense of income insecurity.
The legal protections available to workers in these circumstances are complex, and have only become more so with numerous legislative changes in recent days and weeks. It is dizzying enough for lawyers to keep up, let alone non-lawyers facing the combined anxieties of job loss and a global pandemic.
We have prepared a Q&A document for workers, both those recognized as employees and those who might be considered to be contractors in today’s gig economy. Our goal is to provide simplified, accessible, legal information to those who are dealing with job loss, loss of income, or who are unable to work as a result of COVID-19. We address a variety of situations that workers are facing, and highlight the benefits and protections that may be available to you. We will continue to update this document as the legal landscape evolves.
If you are represented by a trade union, you should contact your union representative for advice and support. The information in this memo is primarily directed at workers who are not unionized.
Also, check out our COVID-19 Legal Resource Page.