Your business and COVID-19 in Alberta
Public health measures & restrictions
PPE/OHS/Mental health
PPE suppliers
Non-AHS facilities are encouraged to request PPE through the government’s one-stop email address at pessecc-logistics@gov.ab.ca.
Learn more by visiting the government of Alberta’s page on “Personal protective equipment”.
Employee management
Rapid Testing
The Alberta government has a free rapid testing program available for small businesses. Small businesses must first apply to use the government's rapid testing kits at no cost.
More information can be found on the Alberta government's rapid testing website, which also includes a link to the step-by-step antigen screening video.
You can email rapidtesting@gov.ab.ca if you have any questions.
On May 19, 2021, the Alberta government hosted an exclusive webinar for CFIB members. You can also look at the webinar presentation and the webinar Q&A for more information.
OH&S and employment standards/Labour legislation change
- More information about workplace rules can be found on the government of Alberta’s page “Alberta Biz Connect” under “Workplace Rules”.
- COVID-19 Temporary Layoff Period: Increased the maximum time for temporary layoffs from 60 days to 180 days. This change is retroactive for temporary layoffs related to COVID-19 that occurred on or after March 17, 2020.
- Quarantine leave: Employees are entitled to 14 days of unpaid, job-protected leave if they are required to quarantine due to COVID-19. This leave can be taken more than once.
- Family responsibility leave: Created a job-protected leave for employees caring for children affected by school and daycare closures or ill or self-isolated family members due to COVID-19
Vaccine
For more information about the Alberta government’s vaccine plan, please visit the government of Alberta’s page on “COVID-19 vaccine program”.
Mental health
Online resources are available if you need advice on handling stressful situations.
Mental health and coping with COVID-19 (CDC)
If you need to talk, call the 24-hour help lines:
Mental Health Help Line at 1-877-303-2642
Addiction Help Line at 1-866-332-2322
Do I need a vaccination policy?
It may be possible to put a vaccination policy in place, or to make being vaccinated a condition of employment; however, it is important that accommodations are made for employees who cannot be vaccinated for medical or religious reasons. It is worth noting that terminating an employee for not getting the vaccine could lead to a claim of unfair dismissal.
Before implementing a mandatory vaccination policy, consider the following:
- Does the workplace serve a vulnerable population?
- What is the nature and duration of the employee’s contact with that population?
- Assess risk for different positions – you may want to avoid an all-employee blanket policy.
- Ensure the policy is clear and employees understand consequences for non-compliance.
It is strongly recommended you consult with legal counsel to evaluate the risk of a mandatory vaccination policy in your workplace.
CFIB has a template vaccination policy available to members in our Resource Library. Please note: due to the legal implications, our Advisors are not in a position to help customize this template. To customize it, you should speak with a lawyer.