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Information for Employers

To prevent the potential spread of COVID-19, it is important for all workplaces to take proactive steps to protect our community. We all have a role to play in keeping employees, clients, and volunteers safe and healthy.

For information about COVID-19 and workplace health and safety, click here. For information about COVID-19 help for businesses in Ontario, click here.

It is recommended but not required that staff who are able to work from home still to do so. 

Measures businesses can take to prevent COVID-19 in the workplace 

Overview of your responsibilities regarding COVID-19 to your workers 

Most restrictions have now been lifted. However, as restrictions loosen, this remains true: as an employer, you are responsible for the health and safety of anyone working in your workplace. 

Many of the safety measures covered on this page are now optional. Keeping the measures that are relevant for your workplace—especially an up-to-date Safety Plan—can help you minimize current risks and adapt quickly. Consider how the physical features and types of interaction or activities in your workplace affect the risk of transmission of COVID-19.

Thank you for keeping your workers safe and healthy. 

If a worker has symptoms, tested positive, or has been exposed to COVID-19

Please click here for details about what to do if a worker has symptoms of COVID-19 or has tested positive.

Please click here for details about what to do if a worker has been exposed to COVID-19. 

Proof of vaccination information for businesses

Businesses can still have their own policies requiring proof of vaccination and should contact their legal counsel if they have any questions.

Customers can click here to download or print their vaccine receipts.

Vaccine policy recommendations for businesses

Employers are responsible for maintaining safe working environments for their workers. To help reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, the Timiskaming Health Unit is recommending that employers should implement a vaccination policy to help protect workers and the public. 

The following resource has been created to support businesses in creating vaccine policies:

PPE requirements

Masks and PPE are no longer required by law in all indoor public spaces and in indoor workplaces. However, masks should be worn:

  • By people whose symptoms have started or who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days.
  • By people who are close contacts of someone with COVID-19 or who live with someone who is ill. Wear a mask for 10 days from the last contact (unmasked and closer than 2 metres) with the ill person.
  • By children aged 5-11 who are unvaccinated and have returned from international travel in the past 14 days, even if they are exempt from federal quarantine requirements. Please see federal travel requirements for more information.
  • In some settings, like long-term care homes and retirement homes. Please refer to the guidance document for your workplace’s sector to know whether masks are still required. 
  • In individual businesses that opt to take additional precautions. 

Children younger than 2 are exempt from masking requirements.

Signage about these requirements is available here. Businesses may choose to post these signs. Masks required English French. 

There are many reasons to wear a mask. Be COVID kind to others—they may make different decisions from you. THU has created posters to encourage people to be COVID kind and to provide information about who is required to wear a mask. They can be used in businesses and workplaces, schools, childcare, and other settings.

Poster: There are many reasons to wear a mask. Be COVID kind. English short version | English long version | French short version | French long version.  

Where to purchase PPE: A list of PPE vendors can be found on the province’s PPE Supplier Directory. 

Ventilation recommendations

The risk of COVID-19 transmission is higher in enclosed and crowded spaces. You should ensure that air-handling (HVAC) systems are maintained according to the manufacturer’s instructions and consider standards, such as those from the CSA and American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Additional steps you can take are:

  • use portable air cleaners
  • keep windows and doors open as much as possible, including in colder weather
  • adjust HVAC systems to increase the amount of fresh air and reduce recirculation
  • continue ventilation and air exchange after regular business hours
  • use available outdoor space whenever possible (for example, for meetings, breaks, client interactions such as curbside pick-up)
  • consider going beyond minimum standards if possible. 

If fans are needed for temperature control, make sure you are using them as safely as possible. 

Safety plans

Businesses in Ontario are no longer required to have COVID-19 safety plans. The following resources are available for businesses that choose to keep safety plans in place: Safety plan builder, guide, and checklist. 

Employer Toolkit

Letters to businesses

Click here for previous letters from the Health Unit to businesses about guidance regarding COVID-19. 

If you would like to receive these letters and are not currently on our business list, please email coter@timiskaminghu.com to be added. 

Signage

Businesses in Ontario are no longer required to have COVID-19 signage. These resources are available for businesses that choose to keep signage in place.

Guidance and resources for all sectors

Guidance for all sectors 

General resources for all sectors

Masking resources

Screening resources 

Vaccination resources

Mental health resources

Cleaning and disinfection resources

Safety plan resources

Sector-specific guidance and resources

Healthcare Providers

Public settings

Wedding planning 

Fitness facilities, group fitness, and personal training


 

 

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