Preparing For the Risks of Return-to-Work? Find Valuable Resources

Businesses that have been shut down during an emergency may face challenges when reopening.  Being prepared gives your clients' organizations the ability to adapt to all market conditions. Risk management materials regarding the COVID-19 pandemic are available on cnacanada.ca to help CNA policyholders reduce exposures and better manage risk as organizations get back to business.

The following resources can help manage your clients’ facilities before, during and after a shutdown:

• Hygiene controls in the workplace. From water and smoke damage to biological hazards, our hygiene controls guide will help identify resources for maintaining a safe, healthy work environment.


• Idle or vacant facilities. Vacant and idle facilities present a higher level of exposure for fire, theft and vandalism, water damage and many other perils. This step-by-step guide offers tips to protect your clients business and reduce the risk before, during and after idle periods. 


• Equipment and systems outage preparation and recovery. Shutting down equipment and systems for extended periods can, if not done properly, result in equipment failures upon start-up. This guide provides tips to help your clients’ business reduce the risk of equipment problems at every stage: before an outage, during the outage and as you restore operations afterward.

Although frustrating, business disruptions provide every company with an opportunity for growth. Use this guide to help your clients business become more resilient to unexpected circumstances:

• Leadership Guidance for Response Team Decisions. When business disruptions occur, effective meeting management is paramount. This guide helps leadership teams who need to quickly make fact-based decisions for evolving circumstances during periods of uncertainty.

For more information about resources and services that can help identify and manage the risk exposures in your clients business, please visit Resources to Manage and Reduce Risk.

As “stay-at-home” mandates begin to lift across various provinces, your clients may need assistance in mitigating employment risks when workers return to their physical workplace.  The resources below may be useful when navigating the new landscape. 

CNA policyholders that purchase Employment Practices Liability (EPL) insurance have access to complimentary legal assistance through the H.R. Help Line Services*, provided by a leading national labour law firm, which advises employers on all aspects of workplace law, including employment law issues. Simply have your client’s human resources representative call the CNA toll-free line, 1-844-378-6580, identify the company as a CNA EPL policyholder and provide the company’s policy number. The call will be returned by a lawyer who can provide general information regarding employment laws and risk control strategies. There are currently no limits on the number of times that a policyholder can contact the H.R. Help Line.

Consider reaching out to your clients today – specifically, those who purchase Employment Practices Liability (EPL) insurance from CNA, as the H.R. Help Line Services* provides a significant benefit.

In addition, CNA policyholders can access a number of publicly available resources, as referenced below, pertaining to employee mental health and wellness from the Government of Canada, the Canadian Mental Health Association with tips to respond to employee anxiety about COVID-19 and the Mental Health Commission of Canada as an additional resource hub for mental health and wellness during the pandemic.

Government of Canada:

• Mental health and COVID-19 for public servants: Protect your mental health
• Employee Assistance Program: Managing your mental health in times of uncertainty  
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Your rights and responsibilities as an employee  

Canadian Mental Health Association of Canada:

• 6 tips to respond to employee anxiety about COVID-19

Mental Health Commission of Canada:

• Resource Hub: Mental health and wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic

_{* The Help Line is not intended to provide legal advice on specific employment actions such as termination decisions, the adequacy of a response to a claim of harassment or discrimination, a particular employee’s status under wage hour or other laws, or the need for a reasonable accommodation. For legal advice on specific employment situations, policyholders should retain a lawyer to conduct an appropriate review of all relevant facts and circumstances. The Help Line cannot be used to report claims under any policy, or to answer any questions regarding insurance requirements or coverage.}

_{The information, examples and suggestions presented in this material have been developed from sources believed to be reliable, but they should not be construed as legal or other professional advice. CNA accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of this material and recommends the consultation with competent legal counsel and/or other professional advisors before applying this material in any particular factual situations. This material is for illustrative purposes and is not intended to constitute a contract. Please remember that only the relevant insurance policy can provide the actual terms, coverages, amounts, conditions and exclusions for an insured. All products and services may not be available in all states and may be subject to change without notice. “CNA" is a registered trademark of CNA Financial Corporation. Certain CNA Financial Corporation subsidiaries use the "CNA" trademark in connection with insurance underwriting and claims activities. Copyright © 2020 CNA. All rights reserved.}