TO: ALL RIBO REGISTRANTS (LICENSEES)
DATE: TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2020
RIBO is supporting public health recommendations to reduce the spread of COVID-19. We have implemented a work from home plan for all employees commencing Wednesday, March 18, 2020 through to Friday, April 3, 2020 at which time we will reassess the situation. The RIBO office will be closed during this time period.
We remain available to assist you, although with reduced capacity. For maximum efficiency, all correspondence should be made through email. For all other inquiries, please submit a message through the RIBO website: Contact Us Form and the message will be directed to the appropriate resource.
Individual staff will continue to monitor their email.
Our general phone line remains open at 416-365-1900 / 1-800-265-3097. Please listen carefully to the instructions in the recorded message. It may be updated frequently during this time. Messages will be monitored and forwarded to the appropriate person.
IMPORTANT — PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
- Form 1 position reports that were due March 31, 2020 have been extended to April 30, 2020;
- Scheduled Discipline Hearings and Complaints Meetings normally held at RIBO have been postponed;
- Examinations will not be scheduled nor sent to the examination centres until further notice;
- All new registrations and reinstatements will be delayed during the closure;
- The online Complaint Form will be monitored and processed in the usual manner.
Brokers duty to their clients remains paramount. Despite the pandemic, and quite possibly because if it, your clients need the benefit of your experience and expertise. While brokers may choose to limit personal contact with clients, they must still service clients in a reasonable manner through email, telephone, text, etc. Expectations of professionalism are in no way lessened. Compliance with RIBO requirements remains the same. That said, reasonable measures taken to protect staff and promote overall safety are encouraged.
This is an unprecedented situation requiring complex and rapid business decisions. We appreciate your continued patience and understanding as policies and procedures may need changing on short notice to the profession. Please stay safe and be mindful of the recommendations of government officials. Let’s all do our part to get through this outbreak swiftly and safely.
Sincerely,
Patrick Ballantyne
CEO