Critical Information: COVID-19 & your business

 

This page contains links to Important Information that you may need for the financial wellness of your business with regards to COVID-19.

To find out more on The Government of Canada is response to the COVID-19, please click here.

 

Important Resources to help you put a plan in place:

  • ConstructConnect – Delayed Projects Report and other Important resources for you – updated April 1
  • Important FREE Daily COVID-19 Working Safely Webinars – Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters – updated April 1
  • New details on the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy: updated April 1
    -Covers 75% on the first $58,700 salary
    -All business who have lost 30% of revenue are eligible
    -Up to $847/week & backdated to March 15
    -Non-profits and charities included
    -Must reapply each month
    –    Attest that you are doing everything you can to pay the remaining 25%
    -Applications will be accessed through a Canada Revenue Agency online portal which will be launched soon
    –    Funds will be available in approximately 3-6 weeks.    Click here for more information.

 

NEWS

Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy – What it means for Canadian Businesses

Updated April 1

To help businesses keep and return workers to their payroll through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, proposed the new Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. This would provide a 75 per cent wage subsidy to eligible employers for up to 12 weeks, retroactive to March 15, 2020.

Eligible Employers

This subsidy would be available to eligible employers that see a drop of at least 30 per cent of their revenue (see Eligible Periods). In applying for the subsidy, employers would be required to attest to the decline in revenue.

Calculating Revenues

An employer’s revenue for this purpose would be its revenue from its business carried on in Canada earned from arm’s-length sources. Revenue would be calculated using the employer’s normal accounting method, and would exclude revenues from extraordinary items and amounts on account of capital.

Amount of Subsidy

The subsidy amount for a given employee on eligible remuneration paid between March 15 and June 6, 2020 would be the greater of:
75 per cent of the amount of remuneration paid, up to a maximum benefit of $847 per week; and
the amount of remuneration paid, up to a maximum benefit of $847 per week or 75 per cent of the employee’s pre-crisis weekly remuneration, whichever is less.

Further guidance with respect to how to define pre-crisis weekly remuneration for a given employee will be provided in the coming days. There would be no overall limit on the subsidy amount that an eligible employer may claim.
Employers must make their best effort to top-up employees’ salaries to bring them to pre-crisis levels.

How to Apply

Eligible employers would be able to apply for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy through the Canada Revenue Agency’s My Business Account portal as well as a web-based application.

More details about the application process will be made available shortly.

Read more information on the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy from the Department of Finance Canada.

COVID-19: Help for Families, Workers and Businesses

Continuing to take strong action to keep Canadians safe, support our healthcare system, and stabilize our economy.
Government of Canada – March 25, 2020

Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government are committed to doing whatever it takes to protect and support Canadians during this challenging time.

After an overnight session, Parliament has passed the new COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, ensuring that Canada has the tools and flexibility to respond quickly to these emerging challenges.

That includes the new Canada Emergency Response Benefit, which will provide $2000 a month for the next 4 months to workers who lose their income as a result of COVID-19. Click here for a quick summary of the plan’s highlights.

ConstructConnect have created Delayed Project Reports

We know it is critical for you, our members to stay on top of projects that are getting pushed, put on hold, or outright cancelled as a result of COVID-19. To help keep you up-to-date, ConstructConnect have created Delayed Project Reports, with access to free daily updates across Canada and the U.S. Simply click this link to download your free report(s) for your desired province, state or area within.  You can access these reports as they are updated daily and you can also sign up to be notified of updates.

ConstructConnect have also just launched another great resource on the Daily Commercial News Website focusing on COVID-19 and its impact on the construction industry:  COVID-19 Editorial Feature on DCN.  This page also links to other great resources.

COVID-19 and PPE – We need your help!

NLCA has been thinking about how our members, suppliers and partners can contribute to the unprecedented response to COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador.

One of the things that members can do is help ensure the healthcare professionals have access to the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) they need to keep them and us safe. asking NLCA is asking that you provide us an inventory of what you have on hand, secure it and, once we have direction from health care providers, help us deliver it into the right hands.  Please email scasey@nlca.ca.  The top priority items required ASAP are:

1. Masks
2. Face shields
3. Gloves
4. Gowns

For more information and the specifics on what is required, please click here.

CCA Press Release: Stressing the Importance the industry is placing on the health and safety of its workers

OTTAWA, March 25, 2020 – The health, safety and well-being of our workers, their families and friends, and the communities we operate in is always the top priority of the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) and its more than 20,000 member firms. This has never been truer than it is right now. The CCA and our provincial and municipal counterparts have been very active in monitoring the guidance and direction of public health and government authorities, and providing our members with ongoing information, resources and support to put in place stringent measures to protect their employees and help flatten the curve.

Please click here to view the full release.

WorkplaceNL defers assessment payments from employers until June 30, 2020

WorkplaceNL is deferring the collection of assessment payments from employers until June 30, 2020, and waiving interest charges or penalties.

This means that all insured employers will not have to worry about paying assessments to WorkplaceNL until July 2020. This measure is to help businesses in the province during the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, please visit: www.workplacenl.ca

Temporary Wage Subsidy for Employers

The temporary wage subsidy for employers will allow eligible employers to reduce payroll deductions required to be remitted for March 18th to June 20th. To see if your business is eligible, please visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/campaigns/covid-19-update/frequently-asked-questions-wage-subsidy-small-businesses.html

Buyandsell.gc.ca: Advisory Notice – Procurement Impacts During the Combat of COVID-19

Tender Notices:
In light of the current state of emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will extend numerous active bid solicitations that are currently set to close on or before March 31, 2020 for a minimum period of two weeks from the current closing date. Amendments will be posted shortly.

Bid Submissions:
There are also changes to bid receiving operations, further details can be found in the following advisory notice on the PSPC service continuity page.

Extension to Bid Validity Periods:
PSPC will also treat numerous bids that would otherwise expire on or before March 31, 2020 deemed extended for a minimum of one (1) month from the current bid validity date. However, if Canada proposes to award a contract or other instrument to a bidder who did not wish for its bid validity to be extended, then Canada will permit it to withdraw its bid.

Please click here to visit the site for complete details.

Buyandsell.gc.ca: Message to Contractors of the Government of Canada during COVID-19

Effective immediately, and in accordance with Government of Canada direction, only essential core activities as identified by the respective Client Technical Authority will continue to be performed in the workplace.

If the tasks associated with the contract can be performed off-site, while ensuring that the security requirements are still met, the Client Technical Authority may decide the contracted resource(s) can work remotely.

The Terms and Conditions of the respective contracts will dictate the specific implications regarding the curtailing or suspension of work. Early and open discussions will empower departments and agencies in their operational decision-making, and allow all stakeholders to collaborate on solutions.

Please visit there site to read all the details and the outline, click here.

Proactive documentation and monitoring the impacts of COVID-19 on construction projects

In view of the uncertainty in the industry, REVAY and Associates Limited encourage their clients to be proactive in identifying and documenting all issues encountered related to the COVID-19 situation as soon as they occur. This includes recording lost time and additional costs as accurately as possible in daily reports, correspondence and progress reports. It is also essential, of course, that all parties be mindful of contract notification periods. Since COVID-19 is now a known issue, it will be imperative for parties entering into new contracts, or raising new change orders, to consider the related risks and adjust their contracts accordingly. Please select revay_covid-19 to read more from them.

Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan: Support for Canadians and Businesses

From: Department of Finance Canada

The Government of Canada is taking immediate, significant and decisive action to help Canadians facing hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

On March 18, 2020, the Prime Minister announced a new set of economic measures to help stabilize the economy during this challenging period. These measures, delivered as part of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, will provide up to $27 billion in direct support to Canadian workers and businesses.


Support for Canadians

 

Support for Businesses

 

Economic Response Plan – Cost and Implementation

Changes to Employment Insurance (Employment and Social Development Canada):

Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits provide up to 15 weeks of income replacement and is available to eligible claimants who are unable to work because of illness, injury or quarantine, to allow them time to restore their health and return to work. Canadians quarantined can apply for Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits.

  • Government of Canada Employer contact centre number: 1-800-367-5693
  • If you are eligible, visit the EI sickness benefits page to apply.


Import tips for the employer concerning ROE’s:

    • Government of Canada Employer contact centre number: 1-800-367-5693
      CRA employer phone line wait time can take over a day
    • If employee is sick or in quarantine use code “D”, illness or injury
    • If employee is off because of shortage of work or business/jobsite shutdown use code”A”
    • If employee is not sick and not in quarantine, but doesn’t work due to COVID-19 use code E – quit, or N – leave of absence
    • Don’t add comments to ROEs – all the information will be gathered when employee files

 

Contact the new dedicated toll-free phone number if you are in quarantine and seeking to waive the one-week EI sickness benefits waiting period so you can be paid for the first week of your claim: Telephone: 1-833-381-2725 (toll-free) or Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-800-529-3742. For more information from the Government of Canada, click here.

The Work Sharing Program

Work-Sharing program is implementing temporary special measures to support employers and employees affected by the downturn in business caused by COVID-19. The new temporary special measures are available to employers impacted directly or indirectly by COVID-19. The measures allows for eligible employers to retain skilled employees and workers to remain employed during the temporary downturn in business due to COVID-19.

Access the Work-Sharing page to learn more about the program and its requirements. Access the Work-Sharing temporary special measures page to find out if you are eligible for temporary special measures.

Surety Association of Canada Recommends Digital Bonds to Minimize Impact and/or Delays Resulting from COVID-19 Crisis

In response to the ongoing and rapidly escalating crisis arising from the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Surety Association of Canada (SAC) has received several concerned inquiries from its members about the challenges of providing properly executed bonds during this period of uncertainty and adjustments to operational procedures and practices. Click here to find out important information that you may need for the financial wellness of your business: https://www.suretycanada.com/SAC/LATEST-ARTICLES/03-16-2020-SAC-Recommends-Digital-Bonds-During-COVID19.aspx

Calling all suppliers – Help Canada combat Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Are you a business that can supply products and services in support of Canada’s response to COVID-19? Canada wants to hear from you. In support of the Government of Canada’s whole-of-government response to Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), they are asking suppliers about their ability to provide products and services.

For more information, please visit: https://buyandsell.gc.ca/

BDC: Support for entrepreneurs impacted by COVID-19

The Business Development Bank of Canada has provided the following resources for support for entrepreneurs impacted by the coronavirus COVID-19. As announced by the Minister of Finance, they will increase the amount of financing available as the situation develops. With flexible and tailored solutions, BDC can help you with the right financing and advice for your business with Small Business Loan, Working capital loan, extra funds to bridge cash flow gaps and support everyday operations, Purchase Order Financing & more.

For more information on support for the financial wellness of your company? Please click here.

Click here to view their youtube video on how to cope with the impacts of COVID-19 on your business.*Please note that this webinar was recorded on March 23, 2020* With the COVID-19 situation constantly evolving, you need to be prepared for any disruptions. 

The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) is taking the following steps to support you during this difficult period.

Defending your interests with the federal government
CCA has been in daily contact with the Government of Canada to stay apprised of any policies in support of, or at odds with, the industry’s efforts. CCA staff have been providing advice and support to our construction association colleagues to share our knowledge. We are also committed to joining any task forces or committees that any local or provincial associations are creating to help deal with the crisis. Please contact Rod Gilbert, vice-president of public affairs, at rgilbert@cca-acc.com with details as we could offer a federal perspective to any working group.

 

Resources to support business continuity planning
To help businesses prepare for and manage through a potential COVID-19 escalation in Canada, CCA is referring members to a guide developed by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce on pandemic preparedness. It is designed to assist in business planning and continuity efforts. You can find a link to the guide as well as links to other helpful tools and resources on our website. We will continue to update this information on our website at www.cca-acc.com/covid-19-resources and you to also visit www.chamber.ca for additional resources. Links to trusted health information sources can also be found on the page.

**As the COVID-19 situation is fluid and ever-changing, information contained on this page may be time sensitive. Please view the Government of Canada’s website for the latest updates.