An open Service Canada location, in Toronto is photographed, on Thurs., March 26, 2020.Christopher Katsarov/The Globe and Mail
Ottawa and public sector union leaders sought to assure Canadians Friday they have contingencies to help those who cannot use the internet to apply for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, Old Age Security, and other benefits and government programs.
The federal government shut the doors to all of its 317 Service Canada Centres - the offices where Canadians can apply for benefits and services - Friday after employees refused en masse to work due to risk of contracting the novel coronavirus.
Wherever you live and work, chances are your workplace has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Many businesses have closed, either voluntarily or under provincial bans on non-essential services, and those closings and layoffs have affected hundreds of thousands of people.
- If you have been laid off, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit will help you stay afloat. And: additional career advice.
- Here’s how to apply for EI and other COVID-19 emergency government income supports
Toronto employment lawyer Daniel Lublin answered frequently asked questions about COVID-19′s impact on the work force. Some questions include:
- If my employer shuts down because of COVID-19, am I entitled to severance?
- If I have COVID-19, am I entitled to my salary while quarantined?
- What types of questions can my employer ask me related to COVID-19?
Though the federal and some provincial governments have introduced income supports for workers that don’t qualify for EI benefits, many businesses have called for larger wage subsidies to prevent layoffs, as well as a broad freeze on payments to government.
Get a second opinion:
- What are the rules around temporarily laying off employees?
- My boss wants me to self-quarantine without pay. Is that legal?
- Is this a bad time to be switching jobs?
Have a question that you’d like answered? Send them to NineToFive@globeandmail.com. You can also check The Globe and Mail’s digest of the latest news about COVID-19′s spread around the world.
Because the pandemic is such an unprecedented event, the legal landscape will be changing quickly. There may be considerations about your personal situation which make the information here inapplicable to you. To obtain advice that relates to your personal circumstances, the best route is to contact an employment lawyer.
“We will be making special considerations for people who are particularly vulnerable and have difficulties accessing those services,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday after the centres were closed.
The government is encouraging Canadians to turn to the internet to submit applications they might otherwise have dropped off at a Service Canada Centre.
But for people who can’t use the internet, Service Canada employees will work with them over the telephone. “Our members will be able to provide that service for Canadians over the phone,” Public Service Alliance of Canada president Chris Aylward said Friday.
If this assistance isn’t sufficient, Service Canada will offer special appointments at certain offices when circumstances warrant. “In cases where an in-person visit is necessary, the individual will receive a specific appointment to come into the office where their file will be prepared in advance and they will be supported in a safe environment,” Mr. Aylward said.
Crystal Warner is national executive vice-president of the Canadian Employment and Immigration Union, which represents 17,000 Service Canada employees, including 3,360 who staff the centres. She said the government and her union are working to devise a system for the in-person appointments that would prevent transmission of the virus.
“That’s part of the conversation still: What is that setup going to look like to protect the client and protect the worker?" Ms. Warner said.
Under the new measures, staff will still come to work at the centres but the front doors will be locked. People who show up will be redirected to Service Canada’s website and phone number.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses Canadians on the COVID-19 pandemic from Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on March 27, 2020.The Canadian Press
A spokesperson for the Canadian Association for Retired Persons (CARP) said the organization supports the decision to close the Service Canada Centres.
“We all have a role to play in maintaining good public health and to help flatten the curve on coronavirus, protecting older adults in the process,” said Marissa Lennox, chief policy officer at CARP.
She said many older adults prefer “in-person service,” and she urged Ottawa to ensure they “do not face any barriers in trying to access the services they need, including support for [EI] and pension applications”
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