If you come back from Italy, Hong Kong, or another country substantially affected by coronavirus, can your employer force you to stay home? If they do, must they pay you? What if you become ill and are off for an extended period — can you lose your job? Can you be forced to work in an environment where you suspect others might be infected? And can your employer force you to cancel your travel...
The more difficult question is whether it has to pay you. It does. There is no legal right in Canada, absent substantial misconduct, for an employer to require an unpaid suspension, and such a suspension would in some circumstances be a constructive dismissal. Ironically, an employee’s situation could actually be much worse if they are ill from the virus. In that circumstance, the corporate disability benefit policies would step in. But some employers do not pay sick leave or have short-term disability plans and that is entirely legal.
What if you are afraid of coming into work because you believe some employees might be infected? This is covered by the occupational health and safety acts in each province. My advice to employers is to be prophylactic in this situation. Pay for forced quarantines of anyone coming from an infected area or who has had contact with an infected person. A company should ensure that customers and members of the public are not allowed into its premises or to have contact with its employees if they similarly might realistically be infected.
I think it might help to bring back the old suggestion box, to allow employees to input ways to reduce infection. (Motion activated paper towel dispensers etc. )
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