COVID-19 Updates | Daily Workplace Round Up for April 8, 2020
Sign up for COVID-19 EMAIL Updates
If you receive our newsletter,
you're already signed up!
Below are the key announcements from the Federal, Ontario, and BC governments that touch on workplace issues for April 8, 2020.
Federal
Government Announces Further Flexibility for Employers to Access the CEWS
Yesterday, a draft bill was proposed to make it easier for businesses to access the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS).
Today, in an official announcement Finance Minister Bill Morneau confirmed the following updates and details for the subsidy:
- Eligible employers receiving the CEWS will be entitled to receive a 100% refund for certain employer contributions to Employment Insurance and the Canada Pension Plan. This refund would apply to the entire amount of employer-paid contributions in respect of remuneration paid to furloughed employees in a period where the employer is eligible for the CEWS.
- When measuring revenue loss, employers will have the flexibility to compare their revenue of March, April and May 2020 to that of the same month of 2019, or to an average of their revenue earned in January and February 2020.
- All businesses will only have to show a 15% decline in revenue for March 2020 to qualify for the CEWS, since most businesses only felt the economic effects of COVID-19 halfway through that month.
- In recognition that the time between when revenue is earned and when it is paid could be highly variable in certain sectors of the economy, it is proposed that employers will be able to measure revenues either on the basis of accrual accounting (as they are earned) or cash accounting (as they are received).
- Charities and non-profits will also have the choice to include or exclude government funding when calculating loss in revenue.
The law establishing the CEWS has not yet been tabled in Parliament but is expected to happen in the next few days.
Check out this news release from the Department of Finance.
Additional details for the CEWS are included in this backgrounder.
Changes to Canada Summer Jobs Program to Help Businesses and Young Canadians affected by COVID-19
Today, the Prime Minister announced temporary changes to the Canada Summer Jobs program that will help employers hire summer staff and provide young Canadians access to the jobs they need.
The program will help create up to 70,000 jobs and help youth between the ages of 15 and 30 stay connected to the labour market, save money for their future, and find quality jobs in safe, inclusive, and healthy work environments.
The temporary changes to the program for this year include:
- an increase to the wage subsidy, so that private and public sector employers can also receive up to 100 per cent of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage for each employee
- an extension to the end date for employment to February 28, 2021
- allowing employers to adapt their projects and job activities to support essential services
- allowing employers to hire staff on a part-time basis
Read the full news release from the Prime Minister.
Competition Bureau Announces Statement Regarding Competitor Collaborations
The Competition Bureau announced today that the exceptional circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic may call for the “rapid establishment of business collaborations of limited duration and scope to ensure the supply of products and services that are critical to Canadians”.
The Bureau states that “in circumstances where there is a clear imperative for companies to be collaborating in the short-term to respond to the crisis, where those collaborations are undertaken and executed in good faith and do not go further than what is needed, it will generally refrain from exercising scrutiny”.
It's important to note that the Bureau has zero tolerance for any attempts to abuse this temporary flexibility.
Read the full statement from the Competition Bureau.
Global Affairs Canada Issues Statement regarding Human Rights Implications of COVID-19
Today, Global Affairs Canada issued a statement that included some of the following points:
- “We are concerned about the risk of discrimination, excessive use of force and violations of fundamental rights and freedoms that have already occurred in some countries during the implementation of lockdowns and mandatory isolation. While the need to protect public health is vital, it is imperative to ensure that these measures are not used to undermine the fundamental civil liberties and human rights of all people.”
- “We recognize that isolating at home can be very difficult for many families. For people facing domestic and sexual and gender-based violence, COVID-19 has created a perfect storm of isolation, stress and fear. Gender-based and child-protection services are essential and life-saving, and we urge governments around the world to prioritize and integrate these critical services in all responses related to COVID-19.”
Read the full statement from Global Affairs Canada.
News! Trudeau says return to work will be graduated and likely months away
Today, the Prime Minister stated that efforts to return Canadians to work will be undertaken in a “measured, graduated way” that allows for an expansion of economic activity without provoking further outbreaks of COVID-19.
Learn more from The Globe and Mail.
Ontario
Ontario Issues Emergency Order to Allow Pick Up and Delivery of Cannabis
As of April 4, 2020, following the revised list of essential businesses, authorized cannabis retail stores were ordered to close.
Now, to continue the fight against the illegal cannabis market and support cannabis retail store operators and legal recreational cannabis consumers, the Government of Ontario has issued an Emergency Order to temporarily allow authorized cannabis retail stores to offer delivery and curbside pick-up.
Learn more from the information bulletin provided by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
Read the new order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
Ontario Accelerates Essential Construction Projects During COVID-19
In response to COVID-19, Ontario is extending hours for essential construction projects, like critical projects in the health care sector, to 24 hours a day. This extension will give worksite managers more flexibility to stagger shifts, limit the number of people in one place and take reasonable precautions to keep workers safe and healthy under the recent guidelines issued by Ontario's Chief Prevention Officer for construction sites.
In an effort to keep workers safer across the province, Ontario is making even further changes to all essential workplaces.
Learn more from Ontario's official news source.
News! Ontario conducting fewer than 3,000 COVID-19 tests despite daily capacity of 13,000
Ontario is conducting significantly fewer COVID-19 tests daily than it had hoped to by this point.
Quebec, B.C. and Alberta are each testing at double Ontario's rate.
Learn more from this news release.
British Columbia
BC Closes All Provincial Parks
In response to the widespread call for increased action to address COVID-19, BC Parks is immediately closing all provincial parks.
The timing of this decision is important given the upcoming long weekend and the beginning of the busy season for outdoor recreation and camping.
BC Parks is also extending the ban on all camping in provincial parks until May 31, 2020.
The message is clear: stay home, avoid travel, do not put yourself or others at risk,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
Learn more from BC's official news source.
Province Promises Support for B.C. Violence Victims
Mitzi Dean, Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity, issued a statement today about the province’s support for women and children experiencing violence during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If you reach out for help, we will make sure there is a safe space during this emergency – no matter where you live in B.C."
News! New measures support British Columbians returning from international destinations
The province is introducing new measures to make sure British Columbians returning home from international destinations have the support they need to self-isolate and keep their communities safe from COVID-19.
Read the official news release from the Office of the Premier.
Sign up for COVID-19 EMAIL Updates
If you receive our newsletter,
you're already signed up!
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.
Categories:
