COVID-19 Employment Update October 2020 - Carters Professional Corporation - Barristers, Solicitors and Trade-Mark Agents

COVID-19 Employment Update
October 2020 Charity & NFP Law Update
Published on October 30, 2020

Deadline for AODA Accessibility Compliance Reports Extended to June 30, 2021

Charities and not-for-profits with 20 or more employees, as well as public sector organizations, have been given a half-year extension to submit accessibility compliance reports, as required under subsection 14(1) of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (“AODA”), in order to meet the Act’s current accessibility requirements. The requirements and deadlines typically vary depending on the type and size of the organization. For charities and not-for-profits with 20 or more employees, as well as public sector organizations, that deadline was December 31, 2020, as reported in the November 2019 Charity & NFP Law Update. However, to provide some relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Ontario has extended the deadline to submit accessibility compliance reports until June 30, 2021. Organizations that fail to complete accessibility compliance reports by this new deadline could face enforcement action, which could potentially include financial penalties.

Ontario Provides Temporary Wage Increase for Eligible Personal Support Workers

As reported in the September 2020 Charity & NFP Law Update, minimum wage in Ontario was raised by at least $0.25 per hour on October 1, 2020. The rise in minimum wage occurred pursuant to subsection 23.1(4) of Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”). In addition to the increase mandated under the ESA, the government of Ontario announced on October 1, 2020 that it would also be providing a temporary increase in wages for eligible personal support workers who deliver publicly funded personal support services through the province’s COVID-19 Fall Preparedness Plan. The temporary increase is effective from October 1, 2020, is subject to regular review, and could be extended through to March 31, 2021 pursuant to regulations under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020. Wage increases for personal support workers include:

$3 per hour for eligible workers in home and community care;
$3 per hour for eligible workers in long-term care;
$2 per hour for eligible workers in public hospitals; and
$3 per hour for eligible workers in children, community and social services providing personal direct support services for the activities of daily living.

Read the October 2020 Charity & NFP Law Update