(Toronto) — Heart & Stroke CEO Doug Roth issued the following update on the organization’s workforce and strategy in the COVID-19 environment.
“Today we have made a series of difficult decisions to respond to revenue shortfalls associated with COVID-19 and best prepare ourselves for a strong future leading the fight against heart disease and stroke.
The global pandemic and associated public health restrictions have resulted in the cancellation or postponement of all major events. On April 15th, out of necessity, the organization temporarily laid off more than 200 employees.
For weeks, our team has worked hard to look at all expenses, discretionary projects, initiatives, and other activities where we can conserve money, taking into account the savings that resulted from the cancellation or postponement of events. Additionally, we explored all available options to protect the best interests of our employees. We are pleased to update that our application to the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy was successful, allowing us to pay employees retroactively from April 20th, with the intent to continue this arrangement through to the end of August.
While this program will generally allow them to receive more than they would have received through CERB or EI, we have also provided the disappointing update that we will regrettably not have roles for the majority of employees to return to work. While this is disappointing, we hope that this will offer some solace during this uncertain time. These people are valued colleagues and we thank each and every one of them for their contribution to our organization.
There’s no question that this was a very difficult decision. But we are well positioned for the future as a smaller organization with a renewed focus on innovating, building resilience, and maintaining a strong fiscal standing. We will continue to provide updates as we work collaboratively to not only weather the pandemic but leave a positive impact on the heart and brain health of Canadians.”
For more information
Teresa Roncon
Senior Manager, Communications
Heart & Stroke
416-489-7111, x. 23060
teresa.roncon@heartandstroke.ca
About Heart & Stroke
Life. We don’t want you to miss it. That’s why Heart & Stroke leads the fight against heart disease and stroke. We must generate the next medical breakthroughs, so people in Canada don’t miss out on precious moments. Together, we are working to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery through research, health promotion and public policy.