COVID-19: Employee Rights when businesses reopen

Employment Lawyer Alex Lucifero answers questions about Employee Rights When Businesses Reopen during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada.

Can my employer discipline or fire me if I don’t feel safe returning to work when the business reopens? Can my employer recall me from work and put me in a different job, or give me different responsibilities? Can my employer recall younger employees before older employees, in an effort to protect the latter from COVID-19?

Lucifero, an Ottawa employment lawyer and partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, joined Annette Goerner on CTV Ottawa Morning Live, where he answered those questions and more.

0:27 – Can my employer discipline or fire me if I don’t feel safe returning to work when the business reopens?

1:31 – Do I have to return to work if I still need to care for children?

2:09 – Can my employer recall me from work and put me in a different job, or give me different responsibilities?

3:15 – Can my employer recall younger employees before older employees, in an effort to protect the latter from COVID-19?

4:20 – How far do businesses have to go to protect their employees during the new coronavirus “normal”?

6:02 – Does my employer have the right to take my temperature or force me to wear a mask?

Learn more about your rights during the coronavirus pandemic through our Coronavirus (COVID-19) Knowledge Centre, where you can find resources about your employment rights during COVID-19.

Contact us today to speak to an Ottawa employment lawyer about your rights.