The City of Guelph says it is placing 127 full-time employees on emergency leave in response to the closures and changes to the province’s list of essential services amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Guelph Public Library has also announced 120 of its staff have been placed on leave as well, effective April 25.
In a statement released on Friday, the city said its moves affect both union and non-union employees.
It’s expected the move by the city will save $745,000 in compensation per month while employees are on leave. That is on top of the $320,000 in monthly savings after the city temporarily laid off casual and part-time employees last month.
“Today’s decision is a painful one,” CAO Scott Stewart said. “Our employees are the heart of our organization and they work hard every day to serve our community. But this global pandemic has deeply affected the work we’re able to deliver.”
The city said this won’t affect critical services such as first responders, water, wastewater, waste pickup and transit.
City council approved the decision during a meeting on Thursday night.
Mayor Cam Guthrie said council was tasked with balancing its responsibility to staff and its fiscal responsibility to taxpayers.
“This decision has not been made lightly,” Guthrie said. “We value you and we appreciate your hard work and dedication to our residents.”
The city said it would be supporting affect employees by ensuring they know about the resources available to them including the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and by maintaining access to health benefits.
“I want our employees to know that this is short-term,” Stewart said. “When the world emerges on the other side of this virus, we’ll get you back to work in a heartbeat.”
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