Government measures in key jurisdictions 3rd edition final - Flipbook - Page 27
Canada
Employment
What financial
support is the
government
providing to
businesses and to
individuals on
employment
issues?
As part of the CERP, the federal government has implemented the Canada Emergency
Wage Subsidy (
) program, providing a 75% wage subsidy to eligible employers for up to 12
weeks, retroactive to March 15, 2020. Eligibility is assessed based on the degree of revenue lost
in the relevant 4-week eligibility period.
: Eligible employers can include individuals, taxable corporations,
registered charities (other than public institutions such as school boards, colleges, or hospitals),
and partnerships (all members of which are eligible employers). Eligible employers must
demonstrate a qualifying drop in revenue during the eligible period. Notably, the lost revenue
threshold for eligibility for the CEWS in March of 2020 was lowered from 30% to 15% to reflect
the fact that the most significant consequences of the pandemic began in mid-March.
Employers will be required to re-apply for the CEWS each month.
: An eligible employee is an individual who is employed in Canada
other than those who have been without remuneration for 14 or more consecutive days
in the eligibility period.
More information on the CEWS can be found here and further details on the Canada Emergency
Response Benefit (
) and support for essential workers are discussed here.
The federal government has also amended the Canada Labour Code by creating a new jobprotected leave of absence of up to 16 weeks for employees in federally-regulated workplaces who
are unable or unavailable to work for reasons related to Covid-19.
Several Canadian provinces have similarly amended the applicable provincial employment
standards legislation to create job-protected leaves of absence for employees who are
unable to work due to Covid-19.
For more information regarding the amendments to the Canada Labour Code and provincial
employment standards legislation, please visit the Cassels Comments located here and here.
The Ontario government recently announced a “Framework for Reopening our Province,” a
document setting out the public health principles behind its decision- making respecting the
gradual reopening of the economy in the wake of Covid-19.
The document outlines a three-stage reopening process with progress from one stage to the next
based on whether the criteria in the preceding stage are met. Although there is no timeline for the
commencement of the first stage, it will involve opening “select workplaces that can meet public
health guidelines.”
The Ontario government has also published resources for employers on its website, including
sector-specific workplace safety guidelines and posters. At present, guidelines and posters have
been published for the construction, food processing, restaurant and food services, agriculture,
manufacturing, and long-term care sectors, suggesting that these will be the first “select
workplaces” permitted to reopen.
Further information on the Ontario workplace safety guidelines can be found here and a discussion of
the reopening plans for each province can be found here and here.
Government measures in key jurisdictions
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