How businesses and employees can stay safe while operating during COVID-19

There have been outbreaks of COVID-19 in Canadian workplaces. As vaccine coverage increases, provinces and territories are re-opening their economies and lifting public health measures based on local circumstances. Learn what you can do as an employee or an employer to help reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission to protect yourself, your family and your community.

First responders and health care workers should follow the occupational health and safety and infection prevention and control practices within their workplace.

On this page

• A prepared workplace
• Guidance and resources by province or territory
• Employees
• Employers
• Communications templates and printable signage
• Other business toolkits and resources
• Guidance for specific types of workplaces

A prepared workplace

For tips and information on operating during the COVID-19 pandemic, refer to the guidance developed under the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. This hub addresses many types of workplaces, such as:

• retail
• mining
• daycares
• construction
• transportation
• first responders
• emergency and patient intake

Guidance and resources by province or territory

Use reliable sources for credible information about COVID-19 and your workplace. Along with Public Health Agency of Canada information, follow the directions of your provincial or territorial public health authority as you reopen or operate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• New Brunswick
• Nova Scotia
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Quebec
• Saskatchewan
• Northwest Territories
• Nunavut
• Yukon

Employees

Reduce your COVID-19 risk by making safer choices with this interactive, web-based risk assessment tool. It will help you assess and make informed decisions about your personal risk for COVID-19 when:

• attending meetings or gatherings
• going out and visiting others

Check your risk with the My COVID-19 visit risk tool.

You should know about, understand, and follow all policies and practices that may be applicable to your workplace. Policies and practices may include the use of individual public health measures, which are effective actions that can help reduce the spread of COVID-19. It’s most effective to use several measures at once, which is called layering.

Additionally, your workplace policies may include participating in a workplace screening initiative to protect you, your family, other workers and customers.

If needed, ask your supervisor for more information.

If you've been in close contact with someone known or suspected to have COVID-19, contact your local public health authority and follow their advice. They can help you determine if you should continue working. Do this even if you don't have symptoms.

When not at work, you should continue to follow the directions of your local public health authority.

Vaccination information

As COVID-19 continues to spread in Canada, it’s important to keep up to date on the vaccinations recommended for you, including booster doses. This will reduce your risk of severe illness due to COVID-19.

Consult your local public health authority on how to get vaccinated.

If you become sick at work

• Tell your supervisor and ask about the proper procedure to follow in your workplace until you can return home safely. This may include:
  • isolating in a designated room or area
  • avoiding public transit to get home
• Once home, isolate yourself:
  • even if your symptoms are mild
  • even if you have just one symptom
• Contact your health care provider or local public health authority and follow their advice, even if you're an essential worker.

Protect yourself and others when commuting to work

• When using public transit to get to work, try to avoid:
  • crowded places
  • travelling during peak hours
• If commuting to work in a private vehicle with others:
  • keep the windows down
  • limit the number of passengers

Take care of your mental health

• Talk to your family, friends and coworkers about your concerns and theirs.
• Ask for help if you're feeling overwhelmed.
• Seek support from an employee assistance program if your workplace has one.
• Consult resources for mental health and emotional well-being.

Employers

Reduce COVID-19 risk in community settings:

Use our tool for operators

• Communicate openly about COVID-19 policies and procedures, and their impact on the workplace, employees and their families.
• Encourage employees to take care of their mental health.
• Consider putting a rapid testing and screening program in your workplace.
• Involve your occupational health and safety committee, if you have one, or representative to:
  • consider risks in your workplace setting
  • provide personal protective equipment (PPE) as needed
  • train employees on proper PPE use
• Work with building operators or consult a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) professional to:
  • identify opportunities to improve air exchange rates or filtration
  • maintain HVAC systems and make sure they operate properly
  • make sure HVAC systems are suitable for your setting and its number of occupants

Learn more about:

• Getting free rapid test kits
• Indoor ventilation during the pandemic
• COVID-19 rapid testing and screening program for workplaces

Work-related travel

• Avoid non-essential travel outside of Canada.
• Consider the risks and benefits related to any upcoming essential travel and evaluate other options, if needed, such as:
  • postponing
  • cancelling
  • participating virtually
• Check the latest travel information and any travel health notices.

Support the mental health and workplace wellness of your workers

• Provide credible information, resources and tools on taking care of your mental health.
• Understand that your employees have other commitments that can affect their ability to work and their level of stress (for example, taking care of family members).
• Recognize that your employees may experience stigma for continuing to work outside of the home.

Communications templates and printable signage

• Prevention infographics and posters - Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)
• Multi-lingual hand washing posters - Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)

Other business toolkits and resources

• COVID-19 and Your Business Newsletter: Subscribe to receive the latest information and support for your business
• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety: Business continuity plan (PDF)
• Pandemic tip sheets for specific occupations and industries - Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)
• Resources to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace - Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)
• Workplace recovery toolkit - Canadian Chamber of Commerce
• Small business help centre - Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)

Guidance for specific types of workplaces

Retailers

• COVID-19 health and safety resources (Retail Council of Canada)

Construction

• COVID-19: Standardized Protocols for All Canadian Construction Sites (PDF, Canadian Construction Association)

Food production or processing

• COVID-19 and food safety
• COVID-19: Information for the agriculture and agri-food industry
• COVID-19 and information for industry
• Reporting abuse or misuse of the Temporary Foreign Worker program

Transportation

• Guidance: Considerations relating to the use of face coverings by commercial vehicle drivers and motor carrier, and intercommunity bus passengers
• Use of non-medical masks or face coverings in the Canadian transportation system
• COVID-19 guidance for the Canadian aviation industry