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Canada’s Working from Home Regulations are Changing
In many provinces, working from home is considered working alone, and employers are required by law to regularly monitor the safety of lone workers, regardless of their location. While it always makes sense to protect your employees, not protecting them can lead to legal repercussions and fines that could put your business in jeopardy.
Provincial Regulations
British Columbia: Regulations clarify that working from home is an extension of the traditional workplace. The Workers Compensation Act applies, making employees accountable for their safety while employers remain responsible for providing safe work conditions and emergency protocols.
WorkSafeBC: States that a phone or radio alone does not ensure readily available assistance. Teleworking employees or isolated field crews need more than just a phone to call 911. A proactive check-in system with designated check-in/check-out times and procedures for missed check-ins is required.
Ontario: Bill 190, Working for Workers Five Act, 2024 proposes amendments to the OHSA, specifying that the Act would apply to telework performed at a private residence.
Quebec: Has amended its Act Respecting Occupational Health and Safety to apply to workers who telework and their employers.
Manitoba: The Workplace Safety and Health Act and Regulation, Saskatchewan: Occupational Health and Safety Regulations and Alberta: Occupational Health and Safety Code all define “working alone” as working in circumstances where assistance is not readily available in the event of injury, ill health or emergency. This certainly applies to employees who work from home.
A system of contact at regular intervals appropriate to the hazards associated with the lone work is recommended in each Province.
Visit our Working Alone Legislation web page for more information.
CheckMate Helps You Comply with ALL Provincial and Federal Working from Home Regulations
The CheckMate Safe Alone app is an ideal solution, providing easy safety monitoring that requires no additional hardware, and is simple to install and use. Employees who work from home can check-in at scheduled times right from their phone.
Features of CheckMate Safe Alone app
- Flexible Check-In Intervals: Working from home often requires greater schedule flexibility. Check-in interval adjustments are available to administrators and employees and can easily be done by phone.
- Administrative Dashboard: Accessed through our secure web-based system, it includes the ability to:
- Access check-in and alarm data logs
- Generate reports and audit trails
- Proven and trusted, with over 3.8 million safety checks in 2024