As everyone already knows COVID-19 pandemic is affecting everyone and everything worldwide. In this blog post I will explain how COVID-19 is taking a major toll on small business and their employees. Due to the virus all restaurants are being forced to shut down to stop the spread of the virus and in turn is making small business are being forced to make the tough choice of whether to lay off staff so they can get employment insurance or keep them on with few or no hours in case the government offers a finical incentive package. With the government expected to develop lines of support for Canada’s small businesses, this will not be enough money for the employer to pay its employees for a sustainable income. As stated by Ms. O’Connor in the article, she is disappointed in the government as she knows the money that is being sent to small businesses is not enough to help keep businesses running “with revenues dropping so drastically”. As we know this virus affects everyone, but it has become a domino effect on employees where they still need to pay bills but are receiving little to no hours of work. Many employees are feeling frustrated and confused as they need the money to take care of their families although they are not able to work the hours needed. Furthermore, many employees are quitting their current jobs, to go work at a “essential business”. This not only makes a higher demand for other jobs but is putting more and more people at risk at catching the virus and spreading it to their families. This issue should and (probably) already being addressed to the government as they should send out improved financial incentive packages to employees who aren’t able to work currently. The government could also cut their tax revenue income this year which in return will go towards employees who rely on their monthly pay cheque.

Bouw, Brenda. “Business Owners Grapple with Layoff Decisions While Awaiting Government Help.” The Globe and Mail, 21 Mar. 2020, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/small-business/article-business-owners-grapple-with-layoff-decisions-while-awaiting/.

A recent article by CBC News highlights an alarming dispute in the Loblaws’ to worker union relation. Which truck drivers such as Faisel Osman and many other drivers from Lablaws’, do not get paid overtime unless they have worked a 60 hour work week. Although, last September an arbitrator ruled that this practice violates the Ontario’s Employment Standards Act which requires Loblaws’ to pay any worker of theirs overtime pay for a 44 hour plus, work week.

As a worker for Loblaws’ this can be a very troubling situation they have been put in as it not only affects them but now affects their family and friend relations. Like Osman a worker for Loblaws’ Maple Grove distribution center, finds it very troubling and tough to find time to see and play with his 4 children. As said in the CBC article, if a shift starts at 10 a.m. – and runs anywhere from 10 to 12 hours. “It’s kind of tough. If I come early, maybe before they get sleep, I get to spend a little bit of time with them” (Merali, 2019). Osman is not the only driver who is being put in this situation either, many other drivers from all age groups are struggling to make end meet, as many are getting second jobs for which they can work at night in order to support their families. This situation and conflict have been going on for the past few years now, as an arbitration hearing of Loblaws’ argues that drivers at the Cambridge distribution center are exempt from Ontario’s employment standards act because they fall under the category of highway transport divers, who can work up to 60 hours a week before overtime comes into effect (Merali, 2019). With four years of hearings, it was ruled that these Loblaws drivers did fall under the Employment Standards Act entitling them to get overtime pay after working more than 44 hours.

All these arguments and hearings which went on for four years was challenged by Loblaws as they believed they should not pay these drivers unless they’ve worked 60 hour weeks and which they did not fall under the Employment Standards Act. Loblaws challenging the arbitrator’s ruling now by filing a judicial review and wanting the Ontario Divisional Court judge to quash the decision. By Loblaws not paying their dues forth to these drivers right away shows the imbalance of power within the employment relationship. According to the International Labour Organization, the minimum acceptable standards within the workplace must include but not limited to security, equality to all, and fair income.

I believe that Loblaws now bringing it to Divisional court makes sense for them as it is in their best interest. This situation will cost Loblaws hundreds of thousands of dollars if they lose which is why they want to take their time with the process. Although, from an employee to management relation this is extremely unfair as the headquarters of Loblaws are abusing their power by not paying forth.

Merali, F. (2019, September 23). ‘They can do better’: Loblaws violated labour laws in Ontario, still isn’t paying overtime to drivers | CBC News. Retrieved February 12, 2020, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/loblaws-delivery-drivers-arbitration-decision-overtime-1.5287007

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.