FAQ for randstad clients

Randstad’s number one priority is providing a safe and healthy work environment for all. Randstad’s executive team has created a Coronavirus taskforce to manage all concerns and issues related to COVID-19. We will proactively provide updates as information becomes available and decisions are made. 

We are focused on communicating prevention and mitigation steps as recommended by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent the spread of the virus. 

We also remain committed to working with our clients to address known issues and respond to their business needs, while maintaining a safe, healthy and productive workforce. Randstad’s existing Business Continuity Planning team is monitoring the impact of coronavirus and will make recommendations as required. 

Randstad recruits in a variety of market conditions, including tight labour markets and specialized skill environments. While following guidance from health authorities, we will ensure our talent continues to meet the needs of our clients and customers in the safest and most effective manner possible. 

We recognize employers may have concerns about hiring talent at this time. Randstad is thoroughly screening candidates and potential hires to ensure your organization and employees are protected. 

We’re committed to working with you to meet your needs. Randstad works with a large and diverse group of employers, so we’re accustomed to working with each of our clients to respond to their unique needs. We can work with you to develop appropriate, compliant and pertinent protocols for your work environment while adhering to all applicable laws. 

Our dedicated health and safety team is leading our response to COVID-19 and ensuring that we follow the current best practices to keep you and your employees safe.

Absolutely. Randstad is currently vetting all candidates and employees before they are cleared to work for a client. Before candidates start a work assignment, they must undergo a thorough vetting process -- no exceptions will be made. We are screening for factors including: 

• Whether they have travelled recently, in particular to an at-risk location
• Are aware of known contact with a person who has been exposed to COVID-19
• Are displaying symptoms of being ill such as cough, fever, etc. 

Randstad is enforcing strict measures to keep our employees and candidates safe. We are enforcing protective measures for our employees, and taking added precautions when vetting candidates. Some of the steps we are taking:

• As of March 20th 2020, all Randstad branches will be closed and our employees will be working from home until further notice.
• Business travel outside of Canada is restricted for all Randstad employees until further notice.
• We will not place candidates who have been identified as at-risk following our vetting procedures. We will be thoroughly screening candidates based on their travel history and signs of illness.
• We will ask anyone who has recently travelled, shown symptoms of illness, or has been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 to self isolate for 14 days.
• Randstad employees are expected to follow Public Health Agency of Canada guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

Randstad is promoting responsible behaviour among all our workers. We are committed to informing, educating, and driving awareness about CDC and WHO prevention guidelines such as social distancing. Additionally, we are working with clients to develop appropriate protocols so that all work environments align with best practices. 

Without exception, we are thoroughly vetting candidates before they are cleared to start a work assignment. If you believe an existing employee may have been exposed to the virus or if a situation arises where you need assistance urgently screening a worker for any reason, please reach out to your Randstad contact to access immediate support.

Temporary travel restrictions have been implemented for all Randstad employees. We are no longer permitting employees to travel outside of Canada for business and will be adhering to all travel guidelines and restrictions issued by the Canadian government. These travel restrictions will remain in place until further notice. Randstad follows the ongoing recommendations of the World Health Organization, Public Health Agency of Canada and the CDC regarding these and further travel restrictions.

We believe governments and health agencies are best positioned to determine the appropriate measures that should be followed at this time. We are following recommendations from organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC), and are adhering to their guidelines for mitigation and prevention. Steps we’re taking include:

• Communicating steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 with workers
• Requesting workers wash hands their hands frequently
• Sanitizing work areas on a frequent basis, especially high-touch areas
• Providing disinfectant and hand-sanitizer to employees in their work stations
• Enforcing 14-day self-isolation for anyone who has recently travelled outside of Canada, been exposed to someone who has COVID-19, or has shown any cold or flu symptoms. 

If you need assistance in implementing emergency health and safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your workplace, our team remains at your disposal. 

For additional information on current best practices we are following, please refer to these organizations: 

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

WHO: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

OSHA: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/

NIOSH: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/

PHAC: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health.html 

Like most companies, Randstad maintains a Business Continuity team whose focus is to assure that all functions of our business remain operational. As the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic is changing rapidly, we have established protocols to follow recommendations from federal and provincial authorities in a timely manner. We have also assigned local task forces and other advisory groups to ensure we continue to run our business and support our clients and workers in the safest and most effective manner. We will provide updates as necessary. .

In the current climate, we understand that you may be required or feel more comfortable if all your employees, including temporary workers, work remotely. Please contact your Randstad representative to ensure the proper protocols and tools are available to assist you. We will do everything in our power to ensure that this transition goes smoothly. 

Where a temporary worker, or his/her immediate family member, contracts COVID-19 and is unable to work, the temporary worker will be entitled to an unpaid job-protected statutory leave of absence under applicable provincial and federal employment standards legislation (e.g., statutory sick leave, medical leave, family care/responsibility leave). If a temporary worker requests to take a certain unpaid statutory leave of absence and meets the qualifying requirements of that statutory leave, we must grant it and are precluded from terminating or laying off the temporary worker for the duration of the statutory leave. 

last update: 04/06/2020 9:05am

The federal government has announced a number of measures to provide direct and immediate help to Canadian businesses across the country. These measures include:

• deferring the deadline for paying individual and corporate income tax
• a 75% wage subsidy to eligible businesses for up to 3 months, retroactive to March 15, 2020. The subsidy will be available to any business that has suffered at least a 30% decline in year-over-year monthly revenues during this time
• the Business Credit Availability Program, which establish special credit or loans to help support your business through the Business Development Bank of Canada and Export Development Canada 

Additional details on the Federal economic response plan and how to apply can be found here: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html