Every Friday, we publish a weekly update on COVID-19 and its effect on business. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Holds Call with Canada’s Premiers to Address the Impacts of COVID-19

On June 25th, 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland held their fifteenth weekly call with Canada’s premiers to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and a shared support response. Per the Government of Canada’s website:

Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland held their fifteenth weekly call with Canada’s provincial and territorial premiers to discuss their shared response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of First Ministers’ ongoing commitment to combat systemic racism and discrimination in Canada, today First Ministers also issued a joint statement and this evening reiterated the importance of taking action to fight racism and discrimination in Canada.

First Ministers discussed their ongoing efforts to safely restart the economy. They continued their discussions on an agreement to address critical needs across the country over the next six to eight months, with the support of a $14 billion contribution from the Government of Canada, to minimize the impact of future waves of COVID-19. The federal funding will provide paid sick leave to workers, assist efforts by provinces and territories to significantly ramp up testing and contact tracing, and secure a sufficient supply of personal protective equipment. It will also help ensure health care systems have the capacity to manage future outbreaks, help meet the needs of vulnerable populations, protect child care centres, and support essential municipal services. The Prime Minister also highlighted the progress being made to procure personal protective equipment that will help ensure the safety and wellbeing of Canadians and support reopening efforts.

The Deputy Prime Minister updated premiers on Canada-United States trade issues, including aluminum trade and next week’s entry into force of the new NAFTA, and First Ministers discussed ongoing border measures.

All First Ministers reiterated their support for the Team Canada approach to fighting COVID-19, and the need to closely coordinate their efforts moving forward.

The Best Strategy for Getting Back to Work

Over the last few months, many parts of the world have been ‘locked’ down, with employees working remotely. We are slowly ‘re-opening’ for business, but… what does the new normal look like in the workplace? Featuring insights from Robert Murray, a Business Strategy Consultant, #1 Best Selling Author, International Keynote Speaker, and TEC Canada Chair – our recent blog details a strategy for dealing with all of the uncertainties of the new normal and returning to the workplace.

As detailed in our recent blog, Robert Murray depicts strategies that businesses should be focused on:

  1. Patience. Your people will have new behaviors that are driven by fear.
  2. Values and Principles. Your employees need to understand what they are in order to guide their behavior in the organization.
  3. Purpose. Employees need to understand why you are in business (beyond making a profit).
  4. Direction. More than ever, employees need a clear direction of where the business is going and how you plan on getting there.
  5. Communications. Getting back to work means communications have to be regular and focused on acknowledging their anxiety, giving guidance, providing quality feedback, and recognition of team members’ efforts and achievements.

To discover Robert Murray’s full insights, read “The Best Strategy for Getting Back to Work” here.

Remember…

While the coronavirus continues to spread quickly, it is important to remember that only a small percentage of patients need special treatment to recover. Trusted health experts continue to emphasize that the general population shouldn’t panic and should instead focus on practicing proper hygiene, such as hand-washing and refraining from touching the facial area.

Stay up to date on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by visiting the World Health Organization and the Government of Canada website.

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