FAQs & Other Information on COVID-19 and the Workplace

• Develop a COVID-19 Workplace Safety plan that outlines the specific controls that will be put into place to make the workplace safer for everyone. Consider using the COVID-19 Workplace Safety Plan information and template.
• Adhere to the public health and safety protocols that have been developed for various workplace settings by the Ministry of Health and industry partners. Guidelines and posters are available at: Resources to Prevent COVID-19 in the Workplace.
• Enable and encourage workers to work from home, if possible.
• Follow the requirements for mandatory masks. On October 2, 2020 the Ontario Government amended the Reopening of Ontario Act, 2020 (O.Reg 364/20) and mandated the use of masks/face coverings in the indoor premises of all businesses and organizations (including a business vehicle), with some exceptions. TBDHU’s Instruction Letter to Employers, Business Owners and Operators for mandatory masks/face coverings also remains in effect. Where there are differences between the regulation and TBDHU’s instruction letter, whichever is the stricter expectation will be required. For details, visit the Mandatory Masks Directive for Businesses and Organizations page.
• Ensure all infection prevention and control (IPAC) measures are in place. Detailed information for workplaces on screening, hand washing, cough etiquette, environmental cleaning, physical distancing and masks is available on the Prevention at Work page.
• Review infection prevention and control/occupational health and safety policies and procedures specific to your workplace/sector with all employees. Place reminders for workers throughout the workplace in appropriate places, such as screening posters at entrances, hand washing posters at sinks, etc. Printable signage and posters are available. Businesses are encouraged to check the signage at entrances often to make sure they are using the most current version.
• Instruct workers to monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and remind them of the importance of not being at work if they are ill.
• Where the risk of COVID-19 cannot be sufficiently reduced by other methods and personal protective equipment (PPE) is required, provide adequate training on the care, use and limitations of PPE, including how to put on and take off, and when to perform hand hygiene.
  • Visit the Workplace PPE Supplier Directory for information on Ontario companies and business associations that are ready to supply personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Update corporate policies and inform employees about any changes, particularly those regarding sick leave and leave to care for family members.
• Provide adequate training for people who may have to cover the job duties of others.

• Keep workers informed of what is being done in the workplace to ensure health and safety. 
• Encourage workers to maintain a positive workplace culture and to treat each other with respect. 
• Address any fears or concerns.  Acknowledge how COVID-19 may have had an impact on the team, productivity, and morale.
• Visit our Mental Health at Work page for more tips on protecting workers’ psychological health.

• Follow all infection prevention and control measures:
  • Wash your hands frequently (or use hand sanitizer), especially after using the washroom, before eating, and after touching common surfaces such as doorknobs, railings, phones, etc. 
  • Do not touch your eyes, mouth or nose with unclean hands. 
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, or your upper sleeve or elbow, when you cough or sneeze.  Throw used tissues immediately in a lined wastebasket, then wash your hands.
  • Keep a physical distance of at least 2 metres apart from others.
  • Wear a mask or face covering when required indoors, in business vehicles and public transportation. For more information, visit our Mandatory Masks page.
  • Regularly clean and disinfect surfaces that you are responsible for.
• Ask your employer to review with you about what is being done in the workplace to protect the health of staff, clients and customers and follow all safe work procedures.
• Continue to follow all safe work procedures. If you have concerns about health and safety in your workplace, you should follow the same process as what you would have done before, such as talking to your supervisor, a health and safety committee representative, and/or union, or (as a final option) the Ministry of Labour.
• Participate in any training and education your workplace offers and help train others to do aspects of your job if requested.
• If going back to work is causing you anxiety, please reach out to the mental health resources that are available to you either in your community, over the phone or online. A list of services is available at on our Mental Health Support page.

It’s also important to do your part as an employee to protect others at work:

• Stay home (or go home) if you are feeling ill. Be familiar with the symptoms of COVID-19. If you are experiencing even one of these, no matter how mild, call the Assessment Centre nearest you or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000. 
•  Inform yourself of workplace policies and procedures regarding leave time so you know what options are available to you if you are not well or you are caring for family members.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, or your upper sleeve or elbow, when you cough or sneeze.  Throw used tissues immediately in a lined wastebasket, then wash your hands.
• Wear a mask or face covering when required indoors, in business vehicles and public transportation. For more information, visit our Mandatory Masks page.
• Practice physical distancing even when wearing a mask.

• Employees who develop symptoms at work should inform their supervisor and go home. If they cannot leave immediately, the worker should be isolated in a specific space until they are able to leave. If the worker is very ill, call 911 and let the operator know that the person has symptoms of COVID-19.
• Employees who develop symptoms at home should notify their supervisor and stay home. 
• Employers should instruct anyone with symptoms, no matter how mild, to self-isolate immediately and call the Assessment Centre nearest them or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000. Employers are not required to advise the health unit when an employee is ill with symptoms related to COVID-19.
• For people with symptoms who do not get tested, the advice is to self-isolate for 10 days from the onset of symptoms. Refer to the Self-Isolation page for guidance when self-isolating, including when it is safe to can come out of self-isolation. 
• Ensure employees are aware of return-to-work procedures. The criteria for return-to-work for COVID-19 is unique depending on the workplace setting.
• Any coworkers who are concerned about having been in close contact with the individual should contact TBDHU or their worksite occupational health and safety office.

• When anyone tests positive for COVID-19, public health performs a risk assessment and contact tracing for all exposures, including those that may occur in a workplace.
• If an employee tests positive, but public health determines that there was no risk of transmission in the workplace, the employer will not be contacted.
• Public health will provide advice regarding any measures or cleaning processes that a workplace may need to take to reduce the risk of transmission. Regular cleaning and disinfecting of frequently touched surfaces and washing of hands reduces the risk of infection.
• Unless advised by the public health, there is no need to close the workplace or send people home.
• Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 is required to self-isolate for a minimum of 10 days. Once their case has resolved and they have met all the criteria to come out of self-isolation, and feel well enough and able, they can return to work. They should communicate with their employer and follow workplace procedures about return-to-work.
• Once a person has recovered from COVID-19, it’s not uncommon to have a mild lingering cough. The public health case manager for this individual will assess symptoms and determine when they no longer need to self-isolate. Generally, this is 10 days after symptom onset, provided the individual does not have a fever and is improving. 
• It is important to respect employee privacy and not disclose personal health information to co-workers. 

For information related to accommodation, work refusal, working conditions, etc., visit:

• COVID-19 and Ontario’s Human Rights Code – Questions and Answers
• Ministry of Labour – Workplace Exposure and Illnesses
• Steps to Justice

• Employees will not be required to provide a medical note if they need to access the Employment Standards Amendment Act (Infectious Disease Emergencies), 2020.
• These measures are retroactive to January 25, 2020, the date that the first presumptive COVID-19 case was confirmed in Ontario. They will remain in place until COVID-19 is defeated.
• Employers are discouraged from asking workers to verify their COVID-19 status with a print-out confirming negative test results in order for them to return to work. If the employee was tested, their verbal confirmation that the results were negative should suffice. If an employee self-isolated for 10 days if they did not have an exposure risk* or 14 days if they had an exposure risk*, a COVID-19 test is not required for them to be considered 'cleared' to return to their regular daily activities.
  • *An exposure risk includes international travel, contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, or worked or attended a facility that is under an outbreak of COVID-19 in the past 14 days.

At this time, employees can attend work as long as they do not have symptoms of COVID-19, except if:

• they have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
• they have had a high-risk exposure to COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
• they have been advised to self-isolate by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.
• they have returned from travel outside Canada in the last 14 days and are required to self-isolate under the federal Quarantine Act.
• they are household members of someone who has returned from travel outside of Northwestern Ontario who has/develops symptoms of COVID-19 (even if they have not traveled and do not have symptoms themselves). Household members of symptomatic travelers should self-isolate and seek testing if symptoms develop.

As usual, everyone should monitor themselves for symptoms and should self-isolate and get tested if they do develop symptoms.

This direction for household members will change when there is more evidence of spread of the virus in the community.

• On October 2, 2020 the Ontario Government amended the Reopening of Ontario Act, 2020 (O.Reg 364/20) and mandated the use of masks/face coverings in the indoor premises of all businesses and organizations (including a business vehicle), with some exceptions. TBDHU’s Instruction Letter to Employers, Business Owners and Operators for mandatory masks/face coverings also remains in effect. Where there are differences between the regulation and TBDHU’s instruction letter, whichever is the stricter expectation will be required. For details, visit the Mandatory Masks Directive for Businesses and Organizations page.
• When employees perform tasks that require them to be within 2 metres of an unmasked person without a barrier (i.e. plexiglass, partition, wall), it is required that disposable surgical/procedure masks and eye protection be used. See the COVID-19 Eye Protection Guidelines (PDF) for details on the proper use of protective eyewear.  
• If work involves direct contact with individuals who have respiratory symptoms (e.g., coughing and sneezing), a confirmed COVID-19 infection or direct contact with contaminated objects or environments, appropriate PPE must be used.
  • This may include gloves, a gown, a surgical/procedure mask, and/or a face shield. Note that for protection against COVID-19, N95 respirators are only required for aerosol generating medical procedures (AGMPs) and when otherwise determined by a regulated health professional.
• Workers must be trained on the safe use, care and limitations of PPE, including putting on and taking off PPE as well as proper disposal.
• Workers should ensure that gloves have no pinholes or tears and fit securely around their hands.
• Gloves should be removed before removing a mask. Hand hygiene should be performed immediately after removing gloves, then the mask can be removed, and hand hygiene performed again.
• Visit the Ontario Workplace PPE Supplier Directory for information on Ontario companies and business associations that are ready to supply personal protective equipment (PPE).

• Try to maintain a similar routine as you did before to help you be physically and mentally prepared for your day, such as wake up around the same time each day, have a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, etc.
• Practice self-care:
  • make sure you get a proper sleep each night (see sleep hygiene tips)
  • eat balanced meals and snacks throughout the day
  • stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water
  • take work breaks and use this time to stretch or go for a brisk walk – remembering to keep a safe physical distance from others (people in self-isolation who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should stay indoors)
• Have a dedicated workspace, if possible, that minimizes distractions and helps create boundaries between your work and home life. If doable, work in an area with lots of natural sunlight.
• Set regular work hours and build in time for breaks and self-care between different tasks. Resist the temptation to keep working beyond your established work schedule.
• Stay socially connected by checking in regularly with your manager and coworkers. Share successes and challenges using video chat platforms or even a phone call to hear a friendly voice. Try to be positive and supportive of one another.
• Be realistic with yourself about what you can manage in a day. Make a plan or to-do list to help you stay on track and help you feel productive when you accomplish tasks.
• If you have children at home, some helpful strategies could include:
  • Schedule blocks of time for when you are working and when you are engaging with your kids. When it’s kid time, be in the moment and put your laptop and phone away.
  • Talk with your kids about what types of interruptions are okay.
  • Take advantage of the time when kids may be asleep.
  • Take turns looking after the kids if you have a partner.
• Talk to your manager, someone else that you trust and/or a mental health professional if you are feeling exhausted, overly stressed, or experiencing symptoms of a stress disorder (fatigue, fear, withdrawal, etc.). Take advantage of your company’s EFAP services if they are offered. Other mental health resources can be found at SuperiorMentalWellness@Work.com.
• Last, but not least, remember to practice important infection prevention and control! Proper hand washing, cough etiquette, environmental cleaning, physical distancing, and self-monitoring are all critical ways that you can help stop the spread of illness.

A printable PDF version of these Tips for Staying Healthy while Working from Home is also available.

Complaints about businesses that are non-compliant with closure orders can be directed to the TBDHU enforcement line by calling (807) 625-5900 or toll-free 1 (888) 294-6630. Visit our Phone Line page for information on phone numbers and monitoring hours.

Businesses are reminded that they must keep washrooms open to the public. They should be cleaned frequently and well-stocked with soap and paper towel. Anyone with concerns about access to public washrooms should call TBDHU at (807) 625-5900 or Toll-Free at 1 (888) 294-6630.