Covid-19 Information

New!

NEW!

Webinar from Business Link - Ask a Human Resources Professional June 9 (NEW!)

Webinar from Business Link - Cash Flow Management in Times of Uncertainty June 4 (NEW!)

Webinar from Business Link - Work-life Wellness for Entrepreneurs May 28 (NEW!)

Webinar from Business Link - Marketing Your Business Reopening May 27 (NEW!)

Government of Canada - Regional Relief & Recovery Fund

Alberta Biz Connect- Workplace guidance and supports to help businesses and non-profits affected by COVID-19 begin to reopen and resume operations safely.

Webinar from MLT Aikins - Covid-19: Privacy, Cybersecurity and IT issues. (NEW!)

Webinar from BDC - “Planning for recovery: How to restart your business in the wake of Covid-19?” May 22 (NEW!)

Current Provincial and Federal Economic Response Programs

BUSINESS RESOURCES AND SUPPORTS

HEALTH & SAFETY

SUPPORTING YOUR EMPLOYEES

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS

WEBINARS

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA LINKS:

FEDERAL WAGE SUBSIDY PROGRAMS

The Government of Canada has made two subsidies available for employers:

Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy

How much is the subsidy?

  • The federal government will cover up to 75% on the first $58,700 of an employee’s wage. This works out to $847/week.

  • The subsidy can be backdated to March 15, 2020, and covers a 12-week period — until June 6, 2020.

  • There are no caps on the number of employees that can be supported through the subsidy.

Who qualifies?

  • Businesses that have experienced a drop in gross revenue of at least 30% in March, April or May, when compared to the same month in 2019, will be eligible for the subsidy.

  • Number of employees/size of business does not determine eligibility.

  • Non-profit organizations are eligible for the subsidy.

  • Businesses are eligible whether they are open & operating, or not.

How to apply?

  • Businesses can apply online through a CRA portal that will be launched in the next 3-6 weeks.

  • Businesses will have to reapply each month.

  • Businesses will have to show CRA that they have payed the employee(s) to receive payments.

  • The federal government is asking businesses to get set up with the CRA's direct deposit system in advance to ensure they receive payments as soon as possible once the portal is launched.

Temporary Wage Subsidy for Employers

How much is the subsidy?

The federal government will cover 10% of remuneration paid from March 18 to before June 20, up to a maximum subsidy of $1,375 per employee and $25,000 per employer.

Who qualifies?

Organizations that do not qualify for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy may qualify for the Temporary Wage Subsidy For Employers.

This subsidy is not tied to any measured decline in gross revenue.

How to apply?

There is no application process for this subsidy. You must calculate the subsidy manually and reduce your current payroll remittance of federal, provincial, or territorial income tax that you send to the CRA by the amount of the subsidy. More information here.

GST/HST credit for low-income earners *NEW

On April 3, the Government of Canada announced that the boost to the GST/HST credit would be delivered on April 9, and not in May as previously anticipated.

This is a special one-time payment for low- and modest-income families. Please refer to this document for eligibility and how much you can expect to receive.

There is no need to apply for this payment. Eligible individuals will automatically receive it. However, the government is encouraging individuals to set up direct deposit with their banks in advance of April 9.

Canada Emergency Response Benefit

On April 1, the Government of Canada has released additional details on how to apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. 

How much is the benefit?

CERB offers a weekly payment of $500 for a period of up to 16 weeks, for workers who lose their income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Who qualifies?

  • Workers who have lost their employment

  • Workers, including those who are self-employed, who must stop working due to COVID-19 and do not have access to paid leave or other income support

  • Workers who are sick, quarantined or taking care of someone who is sick with COVID-19

  • Workers that are still employed, but are not receiving income

  • Working parents staying home without pay to take care of children that are sick or need additional care because of school and daycare closures

How to apply?

Applications will open next week through the CRA, beginning April 6. To mitigate the expected volume of applications, the government is asking that you apply based on your birth date:

  • April 6:  January, February, March

  • April 7: April, May, June

  • April 8: July, August, September

  • April 9: October, November, December

Those that apply should receive a direct deposit within 3-5 days of applying to CERB. Cheques will arrive 10 days after applying.

Those that cannot apply online, can do so over the phone by calling Canada Revenue Agency.

Those that have already applied for EI, DO NOT need to apply for CERB. EI applications will automatically be enrolled in CERB. These individuals will start to receive their CERB payments within the next few days. 

Additional details

  • The government has increased its capacity to deal with the backlog, which is expected to be resolved within the next week.

  • The CERB can not be combined with the wage subsidy from businesses. 

  • Those that apply for CERB will have to check in online monthly to confirm they are still out of work.

Information for businesses: www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html#business

THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA IS TAKING ACTION TO SUPPORT BUSINESS IMPACTED BY COVID-19. IN RESPONSE TO THE OUTBREAK, ENTREPRENEURS ARE ELIGIBLE TO BENEFIT FROM NEW INVESTMENTS AND INITIATIVES:    

Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan

Additional Support for Canadian Businesses

For the latest updates: www.canada.ca

GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA RESOURCES:

 For the latest updates: https://www.alberta.ca

The Government of Alberta has also introduced new financial relief measures. Alberta businesses, employers and employees are eligible to benefit from new investments and initiatives:

  • Deferring tax payments until August 31, 2020

COVID-19 info for Albertans