Like all residents, businesses have a responsibility to have the proper procedures and policies in place to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Find sector specific guidelines and posters to keep workers, customer and the general public safe.

York Region to Return to Strengthened COVID-19 Response Framework

Effective Monday, February 22, 2021 at 12:01 a.m., York Region will transition into the Red-Control zone under the revised and strengthened COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open.

Employer responsibilities for workplace health and safety

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act employers have a responsibility to abide by certain requirements to keep workers safe. Make sure you understand your responsibilities and how you can protect your workers.

These resources have been developed and are maintained by the Government of Ontario. 

Review rights and responsibilities

Provincial resources to help prevent COVID-19 in the workplace:

• Guidance for employers during breaks
• Break poster | Lunch poster | Keep it to yourself poster

Employer workplace safety plan

The Government of Ontario requires that employers develop a workplace safety plan that outlines how they will help prevent COVID-19 transmission in the workplace. To help employers, the province has developed a guide and template for developing a workplace safety plan.

Creating a workplace safety plan can help to ensure a healthy and safe workplace for everyone. Employers are not required to submit their plan to the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development.

Safety plan guide

What to do when employees or patrons test positive

If you or an employee have been tested for COVID-19, please read Tested, Now What and Self-Isolation Advice for guidance on what to do next. View information on Symptoms, Transmission, Treatment and Testing.

What employers need to know if an employee, patron or client test positive:

• Employers may be notified by an employee, patron or public health if a person may have been contagious with COVID-19 while at their workplace
• York Region Public Health will work with the employee, patron and employer to identify others who may have been exposed to COVID-19 at the workplace through contact tracing
• York Region Public Health and the employer can notify exposed employees and patrons who were considered to have been in close contact with a contagious person to self-isolate for 14 days from their last exposure to the contagious person
• It is important to maintain privacy and confidentiality of the affected individual’s personal information; for example, using non-identifying language to notify others that a person who was in the workplace was infected or exposed to the COVID-19 virus
• You may be asked to provide a list of names and contact information of staff, clients and patrons who may have been exposed to the contagious person

What you need to know about returning to work after testing positive for COVID-19:

• Individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 are not required to receive a clearance test or letter from Public Health to return to work or daily activities
  • Employees can download a letter of explanation to present to their employer
    
• York Region Public Health follows the Ontario’s Ministry of Health Public Health Guidance on Testing and Clearance; the guidance states after 10 days a case is improving and no longer has a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medication) they are no longer able to transmit the virus. 
• An asymptomatic individual that has previously had laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and was cleared should generally not be re-tested for surveillance purposes due to the potential for the COVID-19 test to continue to detect the virus depending on how long it has been since the infection resolved
• Unless a case is experiencing severe illness and is under the care of a physician who advises otherwise, cases are able to safely return to normal life after their 10-day self-isolation period has passed

Guidance for employers

The Government of Ontario has outlined specific steps employers should take to protect themselves and their workers. Resources are provided for each sector and are maintained by the province.

Most popular sectors

Education

Guidance note

Construction sector

Tip sheet
Guidance note

Restaurants

Tip sheet
Guidance note

Child care

Guidance note