July 27, 2020
Economic Update Webinar from BDC
Small Business, Big Pivot: A devastating downturn, and how Canadian enterprises can transition
June 9, 2020
Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS) Post Pandemic Business Playbook
May 29, 2020
Canadian Chamber Re-opening Toolkit:
https://www.canadianbusinessresiliencenetwork.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/20200520-Reopening-Toolkit.pdf?x18725
Re-Opening Guide for Local Business
May 9, 2020
The actions companies take now during the recovery period can set the foundation for them to achieve sustained growth and performance after the pandemic is over. This guide is meant to assist you with opening your business as quickly, efficiently, and safely as possible. And even if your business is already open, this guide will help you to implement some extra steps by evaluating your operations thoroughly.
As businesses re-open, workplace readiness is important. Workers and customers are unlikely to have the confidence to come back unless they see actions taken for protection against COVID-19. As Marvin Ryder, of McMaster University stated “businesses must show that they are valuing customers and employees health. Did they sanitize and take my health seriously? These types of things can and will be shared both positively and negatively on social media and on company online reviews so do not underestimate their value on your reputation.”
Physical distancing, health screenings, physical barriers, hand washing, surface cleaning and facemasks will be the new normal. Implementing new steps and then training your existing and new employees on all the changes will be critical.
In-Depth Evaluation of Your Company
It is strongly encouraged that you create a written Operational Plan by evaluating your overall business and breaking out all functions. Do not forget to include employees who work in these areas for valuable input as you delve into the different functions.
The Ontario and Canadian governments have developed several sector specific guidance documents which address health & safety. Be sure to review these for guidelines as you proceed through to develop your new Operational Plan.
Click here for Health & Safety Guidance Documents
Click here for More Sector Specific Resources
Click here for Canadian Centre of Occupational H&S
For each function conduct a Risk Assessment to evaluate things such as physical contact (including the amount of times it may occur during the day), physical layout of the workplace, and close proximity instances between employees and/or customers. After reviewing the above online sources, getting valuable input from your team and doing a google search (to come up with some inventive ways that your competitors or businesses from other provinces or countries are implementing safety into their daily routines) create a list of some potential mitigation measures that you could implement to address viable safety concerns to protect both employees and customers. (These could include safety signage, pre-screening and temperature testing for employees or customers, physical distancing, cleaning and disinfecting procedures, personal hygiene, wearing PPE such as masks and gloves, physical barriers, limiting the number of customers at one time, and avoiding equipment or tool sharing).
Some businesses may be contained in the above links as a whole entity and are relatively straightforward to evaluate, however most are not. For example, if your company is a Golf Course which has a restaurant several functions that must be considered are Retail – Cashiers (as they are typically in a pro shop, restaurant, and on the drink carts), Restaurant Servers, Restaurant Cooks, Lawn Care, Maintenance, Management etc. Looking into various sources for each of these will help you to mitigate potential risks.
J.D. Irving, Ltd., of New Brunswick shared their company COVID-19 Workplan, which contains signage, workspace setups, cleaning and disinfecting checklists/protocols etc. While it may be more extensive than you may need it also contains some great examples of requirements and how they have chosen to deal with them. https://jdirving.com/uploadedFiles/Sustainability/Research_and_Publications(1)/Covid19SafeWorkPlanCanada.pdf
Training Existing and New Employees
Business owners and management should remain committed to providing all employees, whether permanent or temporary, with an Orientation session to become familiar with the company’s policies, rules and procedures (and in particular any new changes that you are implementing as a result of providing increased safety during COVID-19). There could be some resistance to return to work from some employees so do not forget to include these updated protocols in writing on their recall notice to give them some upfront comfort before returning.
Once the Orientation is complete ensure the employee understands what is expected of them and consider having them sign an orientation form.
As we move towards the future these current measures may be enhanced, lessened, or removed, so if any changes occur ensure that these are again reviewed with all employees.
For more information contact the Stoney Creek Chamber of Commerce (905-664-4000 or admin@chamberstoneycreek.com) and refer to our COVID-19 web page for additional support https://chamberstoneycreek.com/covid-19-vital-information/
May 8, 2020
The actions companies take during the recovery period can set the foundation for them to achieve sustained growth and performance after the pandemic is over. We will continue to coordinate and compile valuable information and ensure that it is communicated as we start to begin our recovery from this pandemic.
What is the best way your business can re-open and be safe? The following links have several sector specific guidelines for your business (right from Construction, to office settings, to Manufacturing facilities and Restaurants etc.). Please review these to ensure you are taking the appropriate steps to re-open safely and effectively.
Click here for Health & Safety Guidance Documents
Click here for More Sector Specific Resources
Click here for Canadian Centre of Occupational H&S
Ontario’s 3 Stage Re-Opening Plan
Ontario has outlined a 3 Stage Plan for Gradually Re-opening of the Economy with the goal of ensuring there are appropriate measures in place so workplaces can open safely. Public health officials will carefully monitor each stage for two to four weeks. https://files.ontario.ca/mof-framework-for-reopening-our-province-en-2020-04-27.pdf
Stage 1
The government will consider:
- opening select workplaces that can meet current public health guidelines
- allowing essential gatherings of a limited number of people
- opening some outdoor spaces
- continued protections for vulnerable populations
Stage 2
The government will consider:
- opening more workplaces with significant mitigation plans
- opening more public spaces
- allowing some larger public gatherings
- continued protections for vulnerable populations
Stage 3
The government will consider:
- opening all workplaces responsibly
- relaxing restrictions on public gatherings
- continued protections for vulnerable populations
Canadian Chamber of Commerce: 5 Key Areas to Re-Open
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has developed five key areas that need to be part of the country’s strategy to re-open the economy quickly and safely.
1. Providing Advice to Government
The crisis has shown the best policy is made when it widely draws upon the advice of civil society, including businesses both large and small across sectors. The conversations need to start now in a structured manner to ensure that governments at all levels are receiving the best possible advice to minimize unintended consequences.
2. International Best Practices
Industrialized economies around the world are beginning the domestic processes to restart their economy. We should use this opportunity to learn from what is working and what is not working in other comparable jurisdictions.
3.Interprovincial Alignment
Both in good times, and through the pandemic, we have seen the perils of misalignment between provinces and territories. Companies that operate across provincial and territorial boundaries need to have clarity and consistency to minimize confusion and ensure as seamless a reboot as possible. Companies also need to have clarity on public health rules as well as access to PPEs to meet those public health guidelines.
4.Government Financial Assistance
Temporary financial support programs have been crucial to help some companies stay afloat through the pandemic. However, there is also a need to ensure sustainable public finances. What are the conditions that should guide how the already announced financial support programs are successfully concluded?
5. International Trade
As a country dependent on the movement of goods and services to support the economy, it is crucial for Canada to stay plugged into the global economy. Border closures rolled out in response to COVID-19 have been justified to protect public health, but will be gradually rolled back. Companies will need certainty and lead-in time to fully re-engage with the global economy as these measures are lifted.