Effective May 19, 2020
Updated December 8, 2020
In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic we are constantly reviewing and updating this Plan.
Work From Home
- Lawyers are asked to work from home unless it is not feasible for them to do so.
- Lawyers working remotely are to check-in at least twice daily.
Office Access and Attendance
- Before attending the office for any reason, complete the Daily Health Check Questions for BC Workplaces, which are found at the last page of this policy and in the BC Covid Workplace Screening Guide.
- Anyone travelling outside of the country must self-isolate for 14 days upon their return to Canada.
- Anyone under the direction of the provincial health officer to self-isolate or quarantine must follow those instructions.
- Signage is placed at the front door notifying employees and visitors they are not allowed to enter the office if they have had COVID-19 symptoms, or travelled internationally in the last 14 days, or are under the direction of the provincial health officer to self-isolate.
- If you develop COVID-19 symptoms while at the office, immediately put on a mask and inform our Office Administrator of who you have been in contact with and any surfaces you have touched in the office. Go home as soon as possible, or ask the Office Administrator to call 911 if you need assistance. The individual’s workspace and surfaces touched will be disinfected after they leave.
Maintaining Physical Distance
- Maintain safe physical distancing (two metres) at all times. Offices and the firm’s internal hallway are designed to allow for two metres distancing.
- Face masks are required in all common work areas and areas where physical distancing cannot be maintained, and in all public spaces in the building.
- We will have a maximum of three lawyers in the office (plus a maximum of two administrative employees) at any given time. An office schedule is maintained on a shared electronic calendar and anyone who needs to come to the office must schedule themselves in advance on that calendar.
- Client and witness meetings are to be held remotely whenever possible (telephone or video conference). If that is not possible, a maximum of one client or witness in the office at a time, scheduled in advance, is permitted.
- No hand shaking is the new normal for the foreseeable future.
- Avoid congregating in the kitchen/copy room and board room.
- Where it is necessary to use the Board room for client meetings, maximum occupancy in the boardroom is 2 persons (signage is posted).
- Masks and physical distancing are to be maintained in the areas external to our office such as the elevators, hallways, stairwells, at all times.
Cleaning and Hygiene
- Wash your hands thoroughly upon arrival at the office and before using shared areas and surfaces such as the kitchen, copier, board room. Signage with additional hand washing measures to be taken is posted above the kitchen sink.
- Wipe down the board room and other shared areas and surfaces after each use with a disinfectant, following the instructions on the disinfectant product.
- Additional cleaning, hand washing, and hand sanitizing supplies have been supplied.
- There will be increased cleaning of the common areas by the building cleaners.
Food and Beverage
- No sharing of food or drink.
- Label any items stored in the fridge.
- No sharing of utensils or dishes. Keep any kitchen utensils or dishes you will be using at your desk.
Visitors
- Having visitors/clients in the office is to be avoided to the extent possible. Client meetings are to be held remotely.
- If a visitor/client needs to attend the office, the Office Administrator must be notified of their name, date and time of visit, and contact information in advance.
- Any visitor to the office must complete the Covid daily health check questionnaire and will be asked to confirm that they have done so upon entering the office.
- The visitor/client must go directly to the Boardroom.
- Hand sanitizer gel and sanitizing wipes are made available for visitors in the Boardroom as well as at the front reception.
- The visitor/client will be advised to wipe down with sanitizing wipes any surfaces touched before leaving.
- Couriers are asked to leave packages on the reception counter.
Daily Healthy Check Questions
- Are you experiencing any of the following new or worsening symptoms? Yes or No
- Fever or Chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Difficulty breathing
- Diarrhea
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Extreme fatigue or tiredness
- Body aches
- Loss of appetite
- Headache
- Loss of sense of smell or taste
- Have you traveled outside of Canada, including the United States, within the last 14 days? Yes or No
- Have you been identified as a close contact of a COVID-positive case by Public Health? Yes or No
- Have you been told to self-isolate by Public Health? Yes or No
If an employee answers YES to any question (including having just one symptom in question 1) or refuses to answer, they have not passed the health check and cannot enter the workplace.
If you have answered YES to questions 2 or 3, you should leave the workplace and use the COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool to determine testing for COVID-19 or seek medical advice from your health practitioner. If you answered YES to question 4 you must return home immediately and continue to self isolate.