COVID-19 is now a pandemic concern which means that every country’s leader needs to step up and do right by the citizens. 

At this time there are numerous employers that are still open for business demanding their employees to come in to work and risk their lives. Some of these businesses are non-essential and/or can be partially operate online only. 

Many of the employees may have an elderly parent living with them at home or a family member with a compromised immune system. Some employees may have to take public transit to get to work, posing a greater risk to them as proof of community transmission has already been seen. 

By continuing to allow companies to make the decisions on whether employees can work from home (wfh) or if businesses can be shut down, we (together as a country) are successfully contributing to the growing number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada. There is proof that it is possible for the disease to be transmitted while in the incubation period (1-14 days) even if the carrier is asymptomatic. This means that someone with NO symptoms can transmit COVID-19 to someone else. So by the time COVID-19 is detected in someone, there could be countless people that it could have already been  transmitted to. Let’s make sure we limit our chances of that happening to the best of our capabilities - through WFH options, paid leave for employees, social distancing practices. 

Businesses lack of preparedness for this pandemic combined with weak BCP initiatives is now causing the employees to suffer and come in to work in dangerous conditions, as they are unable to work from home. Working from home is the ONLY acceptable form of working at this point. Many employers are not practicing social distancing within their workplaces either, regardless of the country’s leaders constant requests to do so. 

Many employees are feeling betrayed by their employer as health and safety in trying times like these should be the top priority, however sadly it’s not. Many employees feel threatened by job security and go to work, putting themselves in danger because the companies are refusing to offer work from home options or a complete shut down. 

Countless health officials have warned that we are only WEEKS away from the Italy situation. The small window to flatten the curve is rapid closing and ALL options must be exhausted. All the steps taken by the leaders are a little bit too late, and it is as if we have learned nothing from Iran, China, Italy, etc. 

This is a cry for help from all the employees of Ontario that still have to go to work every day - please help us. 

Restore our faith in the fact that we chose the right leaders to stand by our side and work WITH us and not AGAINST us in these dire times. 

#FlattenTheCurve