Health and safety legislation

1.COVID-19 is a new coronavirus that emerged in late 2019 and led to a pandemic that has claimed more than 3.82M lives to date. It has severe respiratory symptoms and can cause death in humans, similar to but not the same as the SARS virus. You are the HR Director of a large international airline in Canada with flights to many destinations. A group of your flight attendants have refused to work on flights, as they believe that the closed circulatory air system of the airplanes increases the chances of getting the virus and becoming ill.

a.       Identify which health and safety legislation applies to this situation and explain if flight attendants have the right to refuse work in this situation? (4 marks)

b.      Briefly describe the procedures you will follow and the actions you will take after being notified of the flight attendants’ refusal to work. (3 marks)

c.       Would you have given different answers to parts a and b if those refusing work were workers in a correctional facility in Brampton, Ontario and were concerned about the outbreak of COVID-19 as six of the 14 inmates in a unit had tested positive for the coronavirus, Ontario? Explain. (3 marks)