The governments of various jurisdictions in Canada have revised their labor laws in response to the coronavirus outbreak. This has been done to accommodate employees who cannot work because of the ongoing pandemic. This brief guide to COVID-19 leave laws in Canada gives an overview of the major changes in Canada’s Labor Code made by the federal government, and then goes on to highlight some significant changes made at the provincial level.
COVID-19 has drastically changed the financial outlook of most countries around the world. Due to the restrictions and distancing guidelines in India, many individuals have been affected financially. This has prompted the government of India to lower deduction certificates and extend the relief until the end of June 2020. These considerations have created much relief for taxpayers in India as many were struggling to file their own taxes since many tax offices are shut down due to COVID-19.
COVID-19 has created a very real concern for a number of business owners worldwide. What happens if the business can’t fulfill the contractual obligations of their business agreements during this time? Singapore has recognized that a vast number of businesses are in this situation and have therefore provided temporary relief to individuals and businesses that are unable to fulfill the obligations of their current contracts specifically due to COVID-19 related reasons.
France is yet another country delaying their income tax filing and payment deadlines due to COVID-19. With the initial state of emergency in place until May 24th, 2020, there are now issues with the current tax filing deadlines. As has been observed in many other countries, the deadline has been extended for one month in France and will be re-evaluated at the end of May when the state of emergency is currently scheduled to be lifted. This concession has been made in order to give the general population additional time to get their affairs in order before they are required to pay their taxes.
Even prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, South Korea was fighting the issue of soaring unemployment rates across the nation. Now that coronavirus has devastated most of the country, the fight to lower the unemployment rate of the nation will be even harder. The manufacturing industry in South Korea had been in a period of slowdown for nearly two consecutive years with no sign of regaining momentum in a positive direction. In addition, jobs suitable for older employees (ages 40 and older) have also continued to decline across the nation. Overall, the unemployment status of the country was already troubling before COVID-19 came along.
Across the world, a number of emergency funds and new laws have been enacted to financially aid employees that have been laid off due to COVID-19. Each region offering these economic relief benefits has different eligibility requirements, from being laid off due to COVID-19 to interest free loans for small business, and deferred tax payments. However, while policies are still being created, there is one general area that is quite uncertain across North America – what do all of these laws mean for those that are freelancing in the gig-economy?
As of March 31, 2020, Australia has approximately 4560 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Based on the spread within the country, the government is encouraging employers to provide remote working opportunities to their employees in an attempt to slow the spread of infection. This puts businesses in an interesting situation where they are still attempting to keep operations running as close to normal as possible, while also protecting the health and safety of their employees.
Employees in Italy should continue to prepare for changing employment conditions based on the continued outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. New information is available daily, and employers should actively be notifying their employees of updates regarding what is expected of their performance in their specific roles for the foreseeable future. It is also up to the employer to ensure that employees in Italy have access to consistently updated information and know and understand where to access this information.
Get the latest COVID-19 information and resources to manage your employees in 150+ countries. If you have specific labor or employment questions, please contact us for more detailed assistance.
Remote working has become increasingly popular over the past decade as more and more companies increase their abilities to work virtually and across a shared network. With the current outbreak of coronavirus, we are forced to look at how the future of remote working may become more of a necessity than previously considered. What was once considered a luxury is now vitally important to the continued success of millions of people around the world.