Resources: COVID-19
-
COVID-19 Update – Updates to Eligibility Criteria for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
April 8, 2020
Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced on April 8, 2020, that the proposed eligibility criteria for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) program have been changed and updated in order to cover more businesses and employees. The cost of the revised program is estimated to be $73-billion dollars. The proposed new details are set out in the April 8, 2020 News Release, on the Department of Finance’s website, and are discussed in today’s Roper Greyell COVID-19 information bulletin.
Read More +
-
COVID-19 Update – Provincial Legislative Responses to COVID-19
April 7, 2020
As highlighted in our April 6, 2020, bulletin, applications for the federal Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) opened yesterday. This morning, Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough’s office indicated that 996,000 new claims were filed for the CERB on Monday alone.
Read More +
-
COVID-19 Update – Applications Open for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit
April 6, 2020
Applications for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (“CERB”), which provides $2,000 per month to eligible applicants whose income has been affected by COVID-19, opened today for applicants with birthdates in January, February and March. Over the coming days, applications will open to those with birthdates in the subsequent months. Encouragingly, direct deposits should be received within 3-5 days from applying.
Read More +
-
COVID-19 Update – Office of the Human Rights Commissioner of B.C. Releases Policy Statement + FAQ
April 2, 2020
The Office of the Human Rights Commissioner of British Columbia has released a policy statement and accompanying FAQ, providing guidance to employers, as well as service providers and governments, with respect to human rights in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read More +
-
COVID-19 Update – Further Details on the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
April 1, 2020
In our March 30, 2020 bulletin, we reviewed the federal government’s Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. We detailed which businesses are eligible for the subsidy, the maximum entitlement an eligible business can expect to receive, and the effective date of the subsidy. On April 1, 2020, Finance Minister Bill Morneau provided further details about when the subsidy will be available and how it will be delivered to employers.
Read More +
-
COVID-19 Update – Expansion of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
March 2020
On the morning of March 30, 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau significantly expanded the scope of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. As recently as March 27, 2020, the Federal Government had planned on providing this benefit only to “small and medium-sized businesses”. On March 30, 2020, the Prime Minister clarified that the subsidy would be available for any business, big or small, including charities and not-for-profit organizations, provided that the employer’s revenue had declined by 30% or more due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read More +
-
COVID-19 Update – March 30, 2020 – Privacy + FOI Bulletin
March 2020
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has imposed significant strain on individuals and organizations. At the same time as employers must consider critical operational and health and safety issues, employers must continue to protect company confidential information, as well as customer and employee personal information, all while navigating the new uncertain landscape.
Read More +
-
COVID-19 Update – Federal Government Announces Measures to Assist Employers Impacted by COVID-19
March 2020
On the morning of March 27, 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a series of significant measures designed to help certain employers weather the storm of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Finance also published a Backgrounder, which provides further detail on certain of these measures. While many of the key details are pending (we understand that further details are set to be released between now and Monday, March 30, 2020), employers should be aware of these measures, and start to consider how these measures may impact their plans as they continue to navigate these challenging times.
Read More +
-
COVID-19 Update – March 26, 2020 – B.C. Bulletin
March 2020
On the morning of March 26, 2020, Premier John Horgan and Mike Farnworth, the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, announced the provincial government would use extraordinary powers available pursuant to the Emergency Program Act to ensure a coordinated response to COVID-19 across all levels of government. This memorandum addresses this major development in the COVID-19 crisis which will be of significance to employers operating in B.C.
Read More +
-
COVID-19 Update – COVID-19 Leave of Absence Now Included in the Canada Labour Code
March 26, 2020
This bulletin addresses the new COVID-19 leave of absence of up to 16 weeks’ duration that is now included in the Canada Labour Code. The leave is available to employees of federally regulated employers who are unable or unavailable to work for reasons related to COVID-19. There may be additional changes of interest to you in the amendments but a high-level summary of the new leave is set out below.
Read More +