On April 8, 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau provided
updates on the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (the
"Subsidy"). This follows finance Minister
Bill Morneau's previously announced details on the $71B
program. In particular, the Federal government announced a
relaxation of the threshold to obtain the wage subsidy for the
month of March.
Eligibility
The Subsidy applies to non-publicly funded employers, including
partnerships, individuals, and corporations, non-profit
organizations, and charities. Number of employees is
not a factor in determining eligibility. In order
to be eligible, an employer must have experienced a decrease in
revenue due to COVID-19 in the month of March, April or May. Each
month is a separate measurement period for which subsidies are
available. The Prime Minister announced on April 8, 2020 that
businesses must show a revenue decline of 15% or more for the month
of March to qualify for the subsidy. For the months of April and
May, it
