Construction employers are providing letters confirming employment to their employees needing to travel from home and to or from job sites, as local travel is restricted, including crossings in the Ottawa-Gatineau area between Ontario and Quebec.

Ontario is setting up police checkpoints at all land borders between Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba, and local police have enhanced authority to stop people and confirm they are eligible to be travelling within the province.

Landscape Ontario has provided a template letter from EIO Solutions for its members; the wording would apply to any employee that needs to go to work in the current pandemic restrictions.

Most landscape workers should be qualified to work under the government’s essential services emergency order.

Here is the text:

Template Letter for essential workers

[DATE]

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter is to confirm that [EMPLOYEE NAME] is employed by [COMPANY NAME] and is required to attend their place of work.

Based on the information that is available as of the date of this letter from the Government of Ontario and Canada regarding COVID-19, [COMPANY NAME] is deemed to be an essential service and [EMPLOYEE NAME] is performing their required essential work duties that cannot be performed remotely.

While working at our facility, we have implemented the revised Health and Safety policies issued by the Ministry of Labour. Our employee is strictly working from our location with all safety guidelines set in place to ensure their continued health and safety and to optimize the reduction of the spread of the virus. We have trained and implemented our employees about the survey screening, washing their hands, reinforced the use of masks indoors, and continued the practice of social distancing.

[COMPANY NAME] will continue to monitor and carefully adhere to all Government guidance and will continue to ensure the health and safety of our employees while in the workplace to the maximum extent possible.

If you require additional information, please contact the undersigned.

Sincerely,

[PRESIDENT’S NAME]
[TITLE]
[COMPANY NAME]
[PHONE]
[EMAIL]