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COVID-19 Updates | Daily Workplace Round Up for June 26, 2020

COVID-19 Resources for Small Business
Sarah Visca | Jun 26, 2020

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Below are the key announcements from the Federal, Ontario and Alberta governments that touch on workplace issues for June 26, 2020.

Federal

Expanded CEBA Now Available through Canada's Big Banks

Several weeks ago, the Canadian government announced the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) program was to be expanded again to include companies with payrolls of less than $20,000 and with non-deferrable expenses, like rent, utilities and property taxes, of between $40,000 and $1.5 million.

This extension is what owner-operated small businesses , sole proprietors, and family-owned operations that pay family members in the form of dividends have been waiting for. 

Small businesses and not-for-profits should contact their financial institution to apply for these loans today. There are currently 233 financial institutions participating in the CEBA program.

Visit the CEBA website for more information.

Ontario

Stable Electricity Pricing for Industrial & Commercial Companies

The Ontario government is helping industrial and commercial companies return to full levels of operation without the fear of electricity costs spiking by providing more stable electricity pricing for two years.

Effective immediately, companies that participate in the Industrial Conservation Initiative (ICI) will not be required to reduce their electricity usage during peak hours, as their proportion of Global Adjustment (GA) charges for these companies will be frozen.

For more information, check out this news release.

Alberta

Temporary Layoff Period Extended to 180 Days

Bill 24: COVID-19 Pandemic Response Statutes Amendment Act received Royal Assent today.  The legislation amends several acts and creates some new measures that will support reopening Alberta's economy. See our June 18, 2020 article for more information on Bill 24. 

A key amendment involves extending the temporary layoff period in the Employment Standards Code, which currently provides that an employee who is laid off for “one or more periods exceeding, in total, 60 days within a 120-day period” is deemed to have been terminated (except in specified circumstances).

Bill 24 amends this provision for those employees who have been laid off for reasons related to COVID-19.  For those employees, an employee who is laid off for “more than 180 consecutive days” is deemed to have been terminated (except in specified circumstances).  The provision applies to:

  • an employee who, on the coming into force of this section (June 18, 2020), is on layoff; and
  • an employee who is laid off on or after the coming into force of this section (June 18, 2020).

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Sarah Visca
Sarah Visca is the Operations Manager at ConnectsUs HR, a company that provides tools & resources to quickly set up a Human Resources department.  
You can contact her here.